Anne Bradstreet

America’s First Poet Anne Bradstreet Born in Northampton, England 1612 to Thomas Dudley and Dorothy Yorke Dudley At 16 she married Simon Bradstreet Came to the New World in 1630 to modern day Massachusetts at the age of 18. Father & Husband were both Massachusetts governors Anne’s husband was a lawyer, judge, and legislator and was absent for long periods of time leaving Anne in charge of the home, their eight children and farm.

America’s First Poet Anne Bradstreet She never sought publication Anne’s brother-in-law John Woodbridge published Bradstreet’s poems in 1650 without her permission or knowledge The Tenth Muse Lately Spring Up in America was the first book to be written by a women to be published in the United States.

America’s First Poet Literary Elements Metaphor: compares two unlike things without using the words like or as Implied metaphor: a metaphor not directly stated Inversion: the words of a sentence or clause are used out of normal order or syntax Bradstreet’s Writing Style: plain, simple & clear language

To my Dear and Loving Husband By: Anne Bradstreet If ever two were one, then furely we. If ever man were lov’d by wife, then thee. If ever wife was happy in a man, Compare with me ye women if you can. I prize thy love more than whole Mines of gold, Or all the riches that the Eaft doth hold. My love is fuch that Rivers cannot quench, Nor ought but love from thee, give recompence. Thy love is fuch I can no way repay, The heavens reward thee manifold I pray Then while we live, in love lets so perfever, That when we live no more, we may live ever. (Ellis, 1962, p. 394)

Works Cited Beers, B, Jago, C, Appleman, D, Christenbury, L, Kajder, S, Rief, L. (2009). Elements of literature fifth course. Austin, TX: Holt Rinehart & Winston. Ellis, J. (1962). The Works of anne bradstreet in prose and verse. Gloucester, MA: Peter Smith. Gordon, C. (2005). Mistress bradstreet: the untold life of america's first poet. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company. (November, ). Retrieved from