Monday, February 16, 2009

Anne Bradstreet: One lucky women

I would have to say my favorite readings were from Anne Bradstreet. I find it amazing that a women during this time had so much education and such a way with words. I also find it very interesting that her husband did not discourage her from writing but instead set her up with his brother to help get published. These two must have been very unique for their time, and have loved each other very much. This love can be found in the poems "To My Dear and Loving Husband" and "A Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment." In both these poems she states the line "If ever two were one, then surely we" or something very similar. The fact that they both saw each other as one means that they must have seen each other as equal. I think that because she was given such good education opportunities from her parents, and had a husband who saw her as a person (not just property) gave her the strength to write so well.
I feel that her writing caught my eye more than Taylor, first off, because of the titles. Through her work we can see her life and get a great understanding of the Puritan life. Her writings have dates, people, places, events, and religious allusions all of which give us this understanding. With this said I feel that she was not the typical women (due to her education level and understanding husband) of this time and one must keep that in mind when basing her works on the Puritain way of life.

2 comments:

  1. The Bradstreet readings were also my favorite for all of the reasons you mentioned. Her diction is clear and flows well, and along with her attention to detail (dates/place/events) she helps to pick the reader up and set them down right where she wants them.
    You mention that her marriage must have been unique during this time, and I would also have to agree, though I would expand that notion to say that Bradstreet's entire family saw Anne in a unique light. The book mentions that Anne's "poems had evidently circulated among various members of Bradstreet's family," and her writing made such an impression that her brother-in-law pushed for them to be shared with others. Truly a unique (along with loving and respectful) family dynamic.

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  2. I agree with both of you; the Bradstreet writings were my favorite. I felt that while the language was old and sometimes difficult to comprehend,overall, the reading was fairly easy. The poetic diction and beautiful writing also made it a very enjoyable read. I found it very interesting how she wrote on sexism of her time. I also found it very brave for an educated woman to speak out on such subjects in this time. A woman did, however, rule the country but that does not necessarily mean that women were seen as equal. Queen Elizabeth was known as a divine ruler and much more than just a woman. But Bradstreet did a great job of pointing out gender inequalities and combating them.

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