Anne Bradstreet was born in Northampton, England, in 1612. She was the daughter of Thomas Dudley and Dorothy Yorke. At the age of 16, she married Simon Bradstreet, a 25-year-old assistant in the Massachusetts Bay Company. Bradstreet was one of the first poets to write English verse in the American colonies. She often wrote lyric poetry that revealed a great deal of her personality. Bradstreet's personality showed that she was a spiritual and compassionate wife and mother.
Anne Bradstreet's strong voice about her religious beliefs comes through in various poems. For example, she states, "And to my God my heart did cry"("Upon the Burning of our House" 8). This line means that she was begging God to get her though this horrifying time. She also says, " I blest His name-(Burning"14). Bradstreet was saying everything was God's and that He could take it away from her. Bradstreet also prayed for God to reward other people : " The heavens reward thee [husband] manifold, I pray" (To my Dear and Loving Husband"10). Bradstreet was praying to God to reward her husband abundantly for loving her. Anne Bradstreet's statements throughout her poems show that she was a strong believer in God. .
Anne Bradstreet's compassion for her children and husband is also stressed in her lyric poetry. For example, Bradstreet states, " I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold" ("Husband"5). Bradstreet means that her love for her husband is worth more than any materialistic thing, such as gold. She also says," My love is such that rivers cannot quench" ("Husband"7). This statement shows the reader that her love for her husband is so strong that nothing can bring it to an end. Bradstreet also states " I happy am, if well with you" ("In Reference to Her Children"94). She was saying that she was happy only if her children were happy. Anne Bradstreet's strong compassionate personality toward her children and husband is revealed in these lines of poetry.
