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[323hq]

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[j-hackman]

Transformation

In her life Anne Bradstreet was faced with much illness, bearing eight children, and establishing herself within a hierarchical culture that considered women subservient to men, and men to God. She would later become the first published author in the colonies. I loved reading about Anne Bradstreet and getting familiar with who she was a historical figure. She showed me that even back then there are going to be times of struggles. It doesn’t matter who you are, how much power you think you have or even how much money you have. Struggle and obstacles are going to affect each and every person on this earth. She was blessed as a young child to be able to learn so much more than most girls her age. She had access to big libraries where she would learn and explore. She taught me through this experience that God is good. Look at her writings. The fact alone that she is a female figure who left such an impact on this world gets my utmost respect. Women today and I know back then don’t always get the credit in which they deserve. Her art was her poetry and the words and the literature that poured out of her mind and onto the paper.

Her brother-in-law, John Woodbridge was actually the first to publish her writings for her. Back then it wasn’t the role of a woman to be working or to be bringing in the money. They were to stay at home with the children and take care of the cooking as well as the cleaning. Just think if he would have never gotten those first couple writings out where would our world of literature stand today? It would totally be different. God had a beautiful plan for her life and although at times she didn’t feel it, it was happening.

[j-hackman]

Analysis

Much like many of the other Christians and nonbelievers of this world today, Anne Bradstreet dealt with the same struggles. The ups and the downs that life will bring you, the good the bad and the ugly, it doesn’t matter who you are or how much money you have it will knock you down. Taking a deeper look into her poetry you can see that she wrote about her struggles. To me, I can see them as a cry out to God much like a prayer or plead for help. In “Verses upon the Burning of Our House, July 10, 1666,” Bradstreet conveys the tension between her worldly concerns and spiritual aspirations, seeking always to view affliction and tragedy as God’s beneficent corrections that lead the faithful to a permanent afterlife. In “Contemplations,” often considered Bradstreet’s finest poem, the poet sees in the natural world evidence of the divine and seeks to transcend the beauty of nature to embrace eternal joy. Within a restrictive culture that punished women for leaving the domestic sphere or questioning authority, Anne Bradstreet managed to assert a poetic voice, a powerful and eloquent voice that would inspire and influence American poets in her time and today.” Just take a second and just really think about how life may have been back then for them. She was a puritan by where she came from but not by what she stood for, to me she was so much more. Yes she did act like a puritan and was one, I am not saying she wasn’t but just her personality and her characteristics; she was much more than a strike one. She did her own thing and in a good way. She loved her husbands, her family and she loved writing poetry. That was what she known for. God was acknowledged through her writings.

[j-hackman]

I am obnoxious to each carping tongue Who says my hand a needle better fits, A Poet's pen all scorn I should thus wrong, For such despite they cast on Female wits.

[j-hackman]

Practice

Anne Bradstreet is a model Puritan woman whose soaring spirit, zest for life, intense love for her husband and children. She is the one of the best examples in history of Christianity from how she acted with her family and the words that were written down on paper that formed into some of the best and well known poetry in history today. Much like us, she needed God to help her through the obstacles and events that took place in her daily walk. When she was sixteen, Anne married Simon Bradstreet, the son of a Puritan minister and himself a member of the Earl of Lincoln's household. Although the young couple could anticipate a comfortable life materially, they chose to leave much of their wealth in England and move to America to serve their God. Many of her poems can be seen as prayers to God during some of the different events that had taken place during her life. For example: "Upon my Daughter Hannah Her Recovery from a Dangerous Fever”. She would recognized, however with that it brought on more to their life with a child who would need tests and a mother who were then place all of her faith in the Lord’s hands. She thanked her God for bringing her closer to Himself through her ailments. In an age filled with religious controversies and wars, Anne also faced doubt and uncertainty about Christianity. But she persevered to sure faith. Shortly before her death, she concluded an account of her spiritual pilgrimage written for her children:

"Upon this Rock Christ Jesus will I build by faith, and if I perish, I perish, but I know all the powers of Hell shall never prevail against it, I know whom I have trusted, and whom I have believed and that he is able to keep what I have committed to his charge."

[j-hackman]

''But man grows old, lies down, remains where once he's laid.''

[j-hackman]

Theology

Anne Bradstreet’s well known poem titled: Burning of House can be viewed as a theological concept of humankind's inherent depravity created tension in the lives of seventeenth century New England Puritans. They believed that humans were born sinful and remained in this condition throughout life. When it came to most of her writings her main focus was more on the directions of culture, nature, spirituality and theology, the tension between faith and doubt, family, death, and finally on history. Bradstreet's personal situations were some of where her writings and such came from. Prior to living in North American she was actually able to receive a very good education in which as a child she had the privilege as well as the access to private tutors as well as larger libraries. She was part of an influential, well-to-do family that encouraged her writing and circulated it in manuscript with pride. Her brother-in-law, John Woodbridge, took the manuscript collection to London for publication. Her style and her form of writing came from her roots which are known as aesthetics which is kind of a more “plain style”. There was also a hint of classicism which tends to focus more on how the poem may come across such as genre, action and so on. She was a beautiful artist in the form of words. A good way to grasp how she is as a reader is to really use your imagination. Think about how life would be for those who were living back in her time. She was from a more privileged family but I honestly do believe she understand those who were below her. She did not carry herself as one to think they needed to be so highly thought of. She was blessed with access to libraries which helped further her studies of reading and writing.

[j-hackman]

Intro

Anne Bradstreet (March 20, 1612 – September 16, 1672) was know to be one of the most prominent of early English poets. She was the first female writer in the British North American colonies that as ever published. She was seen as a Puritan figure in the world of iterature. Her first volume of poetry was The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, published in 1650. It was met with a positive reception in both the Old World and the New World. She would forever change the way American literature was not only written but as to how it was read as well. She left her mark on this work by using the power of words.