Anne Bradstreet Analysis

602 Words3 Pages
Subtle Doubts: The Examination of an Anne Bradstreet Poem Anne Bradstreet, a female poet who is often mistakenly regarded as the quintessential Puritan woman, appears to have instilled themes in her poetry about the love she shares with her husband, her children, and God; however, when one takes a deeper look at some of her works – for example, a poem called In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Elizabeth Bradstreet – it becomes apparent through subtleties found in her diction, syntax and tone that Bradstreet secretly holds a dark and wrathful view of both God and the Puritan society in which she dwells. The surface understanding of In Memory of Elizabeth Bradstreet is rather simple; Bradstreet is deeply saddened by the loss of her granddaughter, and exhibits her grief through heartfelt metaphors. In the first three lines of the poem, Bradstreet refers to her granddaughter as the “the pleasure of mine eye” and describes her as a “fair flower”. Then, the poem shifts focus from Bradstreet’s love of Elizabeth to her view on death. Indicators such as the repetition of “farewell” emphasize the tragedy of the situation while lines such as “…a space was lent” solidify the idea that Elizabeth’s young death suggests that her life was only temporary. The second part of the poem establishes a comparison between Elizabeth and the cycle of nature. Existing in a predominantly Puritan society, referencing God in poems is an action that is basically imperative. To comply with these implicit Puritan demands, Bradstreet states that God is who “guides nature and fate”. However, there is a deeper meaning beyond the obvious surface reading. Coming from a more analytic perspective, Bradstreet’s subtle diction causes the reader to question her spiritual sincerity. The couplet in the second section of the poem is one such area where the reader is able to sense a feeling of injustice on the

More about Anne Bradstreet Analysis

Open Document