Anne Bradstreet!

1
Anne Bradstreet!

• 1612 1672

2

• Father was John Dudley, a nonconformist soldier
• 1630, sailed with family to America
• His coworker, Simon Bradstreet, married Anne
  when she was 16 and he was 25
• Anne was well tutored in literature, history,
  Greek, Latin, French, Hebrew, and English.

3

• In her memoirs, she wrote of America "I found a
  new world and new manners at which my heart rose
  up in protest.
• Bother her father and husband were governors of
  Massachusetts, allowing her some luxury of
  lifestyle.
• Though her men had social prominence, "any woman
  who sought to use her wit, charm, or intelligence
  in the community at large found herself
  ridiculed, banished, or executed by the Colony's
  powerful group of male leaders."

4

• Her husband, in quest for more land and power,
  constantly moved them to the edges of the
  dangerous frontier.
• Through this dangerous life, Anne and Simon had 8
  children, all of whom lived through childhood,
  which was rare enough in mire populous areas.
• Anne herself was frequently ill and constantly
  expected death, but survived to be 60 years old.

5
(No Transcript)
6

• Because of the tendency of the Puritans to
  ostracize female intellectuals, Anne was hesitant
  to publish any of her poetry.
• Her brother took some of her early poems to
  England (legendarily against her will) and
  published them as The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up
  in America when she was 38. It sold very well.

7

• Her later poetry was published posthumously, and
  contained a much more well-developed poetic
  voice.
• Her Apologies, especially, dripped with sarcasm
  in her response to the male opinion of women in
  society.
• Anne was a radically feminist poet, challenging
  the banishing of women to the private sphere of
  life and questioning the idea of an unforgiving
  Puritan god.

8
(No Transcript)
9
Criticism

• Annes poetry was heavily influenced by Guillaume
  du Bartas, who was heavily favored in the 17th
  century. He impacted the format and stylistics
  of her earlier poetry, especially before she
  developed her real independent voice.
• Since she stuck to this traditionally accepted
  courtly style, her Tenth Muse was well-acclaimed
  among critical circles.

10

• Anne was viewed as an intriguingly feminist
  writer, merging her sometimes overtly sexual
  imagery with the concepts of both her love for
  God and for her husband and family.
• She examined the paradoxical reconciliation of a
  woman in the Puritanically repressive roles
  carnal love for her husband and her more stately
  and respectable relationship with God and the
  church.
• This led to a more in-depth examination by
  feminist critics in the mid-20th century of her
  individualist take on more traditional doctrine.

11

• Special thank you to Biography of Anne
  Bradstreet by Ann Woodlief located at
  http//www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Bradstreet/brad
  bio.htm.