“To my dear and loving husband” By Anne Bradstreet

What do you value most? Puritans valued religious faith, work, and family above all things, especially private emotions Family outweighed material possessions Puritan family, 1563

Anne Bradstreet 1612-1672 Born Anne Dudley in 1612 Arrived with her husband in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 when she was only eighteen Armed with convictions of her Puritan upbringing, she left behind her hometown of Northampton, England to start afresh in America It was not an easy life for Bradstreet, who raised eight children and faced many hardships

Anne Bradstreet Anne wrote for herself, not for publication In 1650, her brother-in-law, John Woodbridge, arranged for the publication in England of a collection of her scholarly poems, The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, By a Gentlewoman of Those Parts Generally considered to be the first collection of original poetry written in colonial America The book examined the rights of women to express themselves

Anne Bradstreet Bradstreet’s later poems, such as “To My Dear and Loving Husband,” are more personal, expressing her feelings about the joys and difficulties of everyday Puritan life. In one she wrote about her thoughts before giving birth. In another, she wrote about the death of a grandchild. Bradstreet’s poetry reflects the Puritan’s knowledge of the stories and language of the Bible, as well as their concern for the relationship between earthly and heavenly life. Her work also exhibits some of the characteristics of the French and English poetry of her day.

How does this picture represent Bradstreet as a poet and Puritan housewife?

Vocabulary quench: v. satisfy a thirst recompense: n. Repayment; something given or done in return for something else manifold: adv. In many ways persevere: v. persist; be steadfast in purpose

Literary Analysis: Puritan Plain Style Writing style reflects the plain style of their lives – spare, simple, straightforward The Puritan Plain Style is characterized by short words, direct statements, and references to ordinary, everyday objects and experiences Puritans believed that poetry should serve God by clearly expressing only useful or religious ideas Poetry appealing to the senses or emotions was viewed as dangerous.

Literary Analysis: Puritan Plain Style Archaic language: language that was popular is no longer Ex: thee = you Syntax: arrangement of words in the sentence Inversion: the structure of the sentences was often flipped—subject came after the verb Ex: From far away came the sound of thunder (inverted) The sound of thunder came from far away (normal)

Reading Strategy: Paraphrasing Although the poem captures the simplicity of Puritan life, it is not necessarily simple to understand To help you better absorb the meaning of the poem, take time to paraphrase, or restate in your own words, the ideas expressed by the poet Because it helps to clarify meaning, paraphrasing will allow you to make accurate statements about the poet’s ideas

Let’s Break it Down! Paraphrase How would you paraphrase the first two lines? We form the ideal couple, acting as if we were one person; you are the most beloved of husbands How would you paraphrase the next two lines? If ever there was a woman who is happy with her husband, its me. Compare my love to any other woman’s love for her husband, if you can.

Reading Strategy: Paraphrasing Use a graphic organizer “My love is such that rivers cannot quench, Nor ought but love from thee, give recompense” My thirst for you couldn’t be satisfied with a whole river Only love from you can be repayment

Reading of the poem…twice

Inversion: Deals with syntax If ever two were one, than surely we. If ever man were lov’d by wife, then thee; How would you invert these two lines to make them more literal? If ever two people were one person, then she and her husband surely are. If ever any man has been loved by his wife, he (her husband) has been.

Figurative Language Iambic pentameter: rhythmic meter Anaphora: repetition of the first part of a sentence Couplet: two rhymed lines Paradox: a statement that contradicts itself but might be true Lyrical poem: poem that expresses personal feelings Metaphor: comparison Anapest: metrical foot Slant Rhyme: almost rhymes but not quite

Iambic Pentameter an “iamb” is an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one. “Penta” means “five,” and “meter” refers to a regular rhythmic pattern. So “iambic pentameter” is a kind of rhythmic pattern that consist of five iambs per line. It’s the most common rhythm in English poetry and sounds like five heartbeats: ba-DUM, ba-DUM, ba-DUM, ba-DUM, ba-DUM.

We can scan line 4 in the following way: Com-pare with me ye wo-men if you can. da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM Take a look at line 10: The hea-vens re-ward thee man-i-fold I pray. There is an extra unstressed syllable, so 11. When a foot has two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed one, we call it an anapest.

Rhyme Scheme The scheme for this poem is as follows: AABBCCDDEEFF. We call these rhyming couplets, because the lines come in rhyming pairs. What about lines 7-8? The "-en" sounds of "quench" and "recompense" rhyme, but "ch" and "se" sounds are hardly the same. When two words sorta-kinda rhyme like this, we call it slant rhyme. Why do you think Bradstreet uses it here? Look at lines 11-12…Persever and ever: check out the footnote!

“To My Dear and Loving Husband”: What does it all mean? Which lines from “To My Dear and Loving Husband” compare love to the ownership of physical wealth and property? “I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold  Or all the riches that the East doth hold.”

Images/symbols Find examples of: Money and payment/material wealth Lines 5-6: symbolizes exotic, wealthy (personification) Line 8: metaphor comparing love to a transaction Line 9: transaction should even out in the end Line 10: use of the word reward

What does the word “ought” in line 8 communicate? Either “anything” or “expression of duty.” If it’s “anything” she’s saying nothing but his love can repay her for her love. If it’s “expression of duty” she’s saying that her husband should express his duty to his wife through his love for her, which is the only repayment she wants. It shows that they value love and duty over material goods

Common Experiences Line 7: My love is such that rivers cannot quench What common experience does the poet refer to in this line?

Let’s start to wrap up What is the metaphysical argument? Poet vs. lover What are the themes? Physical death Religion Physical love

How about those first line and last two lines? If ever two were one, then surely we How can two people be one person? Then while we live, in love let’s so persevere, That when we live no more, we may live ever. How can you live no more but live forever?

What aspect of the speaker is more important in this poem—the private or the public self?

“To My Dear and Loving Husband”: Reading of the Poem