Anne Bradstreet, Edward Taylor, Michael Wigglesworth, and Ebenezer Cook are all classic examples of early American poets. All of their writings have stretched way back to the beginning of the Colonial period. Although each poet had different styles, all four are early American writers who had strong thoughts and were not afraid to express these thoughts in their writings.
Not only is she considered to be the first established female writer, Bradstreet is also recognized as America's first poet. Her writing reflects the constant struggles that she had to endure as a Puritan woman in the seventeenth century, as well as her love and devotion to her husband and children. There are two different sides to Bradstreet, one being formal and the other, more personal. She is also a well trained satirist. .
Although it was rare for a woman during her time to receive an education, Bradstreet was privileged enough to earn an education from her father, Thomas Dudley, who was the Earl of Lincoln estate. In fact, she had an equivalent of a bachelor's degree, which men were only able to receive. With unlimited access to her father's library at Sempringham Castle, she read and studied, focusing mainly on the serious Puritan writings.
Bradstreet's first published volume of poems, "The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, By a Gentlewoman of Those Parts" is the first book by a woman that was published in the United States. However, it was not well received by the critics, who just from reading the title, assumed the entire book was something awkward but instead, they got an intelligent and strong poet. .
In such works as "The Prologue", Bradstreet shows that she was both angry and against the role that were given to women during her time. They were seen as being intellectually inferior to men and the only place they had in society was at home, tending to their husband and children. The following stanza from "The Prologue" is Bradstreets feeling towards the criticism she received from being a female writer and it explains how men saw women at this time:.
