INTRODUCTION CONTINUED
Anne was born in Northampton, England in 1612 as the daughter of Thomas Dudley, a steward of the Earl of Lincoln. Due to her family, she grew up in a cultured circumstances and was a well-educated woman being tutored in history, literature, and several languages. At the age of sixteen she married Simon Bradstreet. Both Anne's father and husband would later serve as Massachusetts Bay Colony governors. Anne, Simon, and her parents emigrated to America aboard the "Arbella" which was part of the Winthrop Fleet of Puritan emigrants in 1630. Anne and her family lived in New England (1620-1640) until the starvation of Governor John Endecott and other residents of the village. After leaving, the family moved South to the Charlestown, Massachusetts before then moving to Cambridge Massachusetts. ANNE BRADSTREET'S WORKS The high level of education that Anne received gave her extraordinary advantages that allowed her to write with authority about history, theology, politics, and medicine. Her personal library was said to contain over 800 books. An excerpt from the poem "Upon the Burning of Our House July 10th, 1666," states that, "And when I could no longer look, I blest His grace that gave and took, That laid my goods now in the dust. Yea, so it was, and so 'twas just. It was his own; it was not mine. Far be it that I should repine." This excerpt shows how Anne rejected the anger and grief that was caused to her when her house burnt down. Instead of living in tragedy, Anne decided to look toward "His grace," or God's grace and the assurance of heaven. This is just one of the examples of Anne's Puritan beliefs effecting her works and writings. Most of Anne Bradstreet's writings are based on an observation of the world around her. Her writings focused heavily on religious and domestic themes. Anne's writings were long considered mostly of historical interest, but she won critical acceptance as we entered the 20th century as a writer, especially for her sequence of religious poems "Contemplations" which was written for her family and not published until the mid-19th century. ROLE OF WOMEN Marriage was a big role in the lives of Puritan women. The meaning of this role is very clear to Anne as shown in one of her most famous poems, "To My Dear And Loving Husband," she seems to reveal that she is one with her husband by stating "If ever two were one, then surely we." The Puritans believed that since marriage is overseen by God, that it is one of God's gifts to humans. Anne is so in love with her "gift" that she includes it in many of her works. The primary roles of women in the Puritan society were for them to be wives and mothers, and provide the family with their everyday needs. The expectations for the women included to make clothing for the family, cook the meals, keep the household clean, and teach the children about the Puritan lifestyle. All of these tasks were extremely hard work, Puritan women including Anne were extremely hard workers. Many of Anne's poems are also dedicated to her own children including works such as "Before the Birth of One of Her Children." FAMILY & DEATH Anne married Simon Bradstreet in 1628 at the age of sixteen. The couple was blessed with a total of eight children. Anne Bradstreet died on September 16, 1672 in Massachusetts at the age of 60. CHRONOLOGY OF BRADSTREET'S LIFE 1612 - Born in Northampton, England. 1628 - Married to Simon Bradstreet at the age of 16. 1630 - With her husband Simon and her parents; immigrated to Ameirca. 1632 - Gave birth to her first child, Samuel. 1650 - Her poetry was published in London with the name "The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America by a Gentlewoman from Those Parts" 1666 - Their North Andover family home was burned down in a fire. 1672 - Died in North Andover, Massachusetts at the age of 60. EXTENDED BIOGRAPHY LINKS To My Dear and Loving Husband & Upon the Burning of Our House Poems Anne Bradstreet's Peoms "Contemplation" |
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