Bradstreet,+Anne

 =Anne Bradstreet=

(1612-1672)
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/pictures/anne_bradstreet.jpg

Anne Bradstreet is considered to be the first American poet. Her book "The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, By a Gentlewoman of Those Parts" was the first book written by a women to be published in the U.S. She wrote most of her poems while her husband, governor Simon Bradstreet, was away. She wrote for the people close to her.

**In Reference to her Children**
In this poem Bradstreet talks about her eight children metaphorically as birds. She has four boys and four girls. Her oldest son has gone far away and she waits for him to return. Her two oldest daughters both are married and living somewhere with their husbands. Her next son has gone to the "Academy", dreams of excelling above all the others. Her third son is amongst the shrubs and and bushes, which may mean that he works with nature. Her three youngeset children are still with her and she worries about them. She is able to protect them while they are with her, but once they are by themselves she is afraid they will encounter bird catchers, stone throwers, and hawks. Which means she has protected them until now and but she wants them to be aware of the dangerous world. She expresses to them that she is getting old and will be in heaven soon. She wants them to know that even though she may not be there with them, she loved them and did everything that was best for them. She taught them right from wrong, good from bad. At the end she says, if they are well she is happy.

I thought it was clever and fun of her to metaphorically talk about her children as birds. Although the poem was written in "bird talk", I could translate the lines into human actions. For example she writes "Chief of the Brood then took his flight", which means her oldest son has left the house. I enjoyed translating everything into "human actions". I think mothers around the world can relate to this poem. Even though I do not have any children, I can imagine how she must have felt when her oldest children left the "nest". And what mother does not worry about the safety of their children? I think every parent wants their child to know that everthing they do, they do to benefit their child. Bradstreet expresses that she hopes her children will pass down the wisdom she taught them to their own children. I think she was a very educated women, because of her use of strong words and also because of the way the poem was written. The poem is not a piece you can just quickly read and expect to comprehend every detail. I know that she liked to write about her family, religion, and death. I would like to read other poems by her such as "Verses Upon the Burning of our House". I know that she had a hard life dealing with the hardships of that time period, her illness, getting used to the new world and dealing with the death of family members. I think her feeling are strongly expressed in her poems.
 * Theme:** (Family) A mother's feeling towards her children, which she devoted most of her life to raising.

"Farewell, my birds, farewell, adieu, I happy am, if well with you."

"You had a Dame that lov'd you well, That did what could be done for young And nurst you up till you were strong"

In these two excerpts, Bradstreet expresses her love for her children. She was a caring mother that did everything she could for her children. Even though she will be in heaven soon, she will be happy as long as they are well. Through out the whole poem she expresses her love and care for her children.

During this time period journals, letters, sermons, and poetry were popular. Bradstreet was a poet that wrote poems about her family, religion, and death. Her poems reflect puritan ideals, such as God's will. She was a religous woman who wanted to please God, she did this by reaching out to her loved ones. In the excerpt she references heaven, which is her goal. Puritans believe in Irresistible Grace, God's grace is freely given. Bradstreet is getting old and awaits her time of death. Although she is sad and does not want to depart from her children, she knows God will be waiting for her in heaven.
 * Era:** 1600's, Puritanism.

" My age I will not once lament But sing, my time so near is spent,  And from the top bough take my flight  Into a country beyond sight  Where old ones instantly grow young  And there with seraphims set song.  No seasons cold, nor storms they see  But spring lasts to eternity."


 * Author:** During this time period a women was expected to stay home and tend to her children and husband. She did not agree with the idea that women were inferiors. Anne Bradstreet had a hard life raising her eight children and taking care of her home. She hardly had any leisure time because she was raising her children. Although she went through pain to have her children, she did her best to care for them until they were old enough to go along on their own. The excerpts show that Bradstreet devoted most of her time caring for her children.

"No cost nor labour did I spare Till at the last they felt their wing"

"Great was my pain when I you bred, Great was my care when I you fed."

adieu: goodbye
 * Vocab**

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