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LITR 4231 Early American
Literature Sample Research Posts 2014 (research post assignment) Research Post 2 |
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Marion Johnson
The life and works of Anne Bradstreet
As a fan of poetry and strong women writers, I find the works of Anne
Bradstreet to be quite captivating and engaging. Throughout her writings, a
common theme that Anne explored was the role of women in society. As women
around the world still struggle for equality today, Anne’s writings remain
relevant and worth studying. When researching Anne, I wanted to discover what
her exact beliefs were regarding women, what issues she struggled with, and what
various influences affected her writing.
I began my research with the internet, and I gained a lot of useful
biographical information on Anne from the biography published by Ann Woodlief
(source 1). This website provided several personal quotes from Anne, which
helped me to gain a better understanding on some of her attitudes and beliefs.
It also delves into the nature of society at the time, and highlights some of
the struggles that women faced during Anne’s time.
The second source I located on the internet discussed the themes and ideas
present in Anne’s work (source 2). It also focuses on the structure of Anne’s
poems, and discusses some of the more powerful metaphors Anne used. After
evaluating this source, I found it to be credible and full of useful
information.
After conducting my research, I came to understand that as a woman living in a
Puritan society, Anne disagreed with a lot of the stereotypical ideas
surrounding women. She did not support the idea that men were superior, nor that
the only task a woman should have in life was cooking and cleaning.
Anne faced challenges when it came to sharing her writing, because, as
she once stated “any woman who sought to use her wit, charm, or intelligence in
the community at large found herself ridiculed, banished, or executed.” Anne
Hutchinson, who was a friend of Anne, ultimately found herself banished from
her home due to her writings. The hostile attitude of society towards women was
perhaps what kept Anne from publishing her works for so long, and what kept her
from sharing some of her more personal writing.
Interestingly enough, however, Anne maintained a very positive attitude towards
the men in her life. Unlike Sor Juana (whom I researched for my first post),
Anne does not disparage men or write them off as a nuisance. One of Anne’s most
famous poems, “To My Dear and Loving Husband,” is a beautiful and reflective
piece dedicated to Simon Bradstreet. Personally, I find Anne’s positive
relationship with men to fall in line with my own views of feminism, and found
the poem to be a very enjoyable read.
When concluding my research on Anne, I felt that I had a better understanding of
the themes present in her works, and a stronger grasp on the social issues she
faced. I feel as though Anne raises many good points regarding feminism, and
that I can identify with her on several different levels. Anne remains a
powerful voice for women, and a very gifted poet.
Works Cited
"Biography of Anne Bradstreet."
http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Bradstreet/bradbio.htm, Anne Woodlief,
Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
The Biography of Anne. "The Biography of Anne Bradstreet." Poemhunter.com, Web.
21 Apr. 2014.
"Anne Bradstreet." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
"Anne Bradstreet, 1612-1672." , Ramon Gonzalez,
http://www2.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/allam/16071783/lit/bradstre.htm, Web.
24 Apr. 2014
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