Anne Bradstreet (March 8, 1612 – September 16, 1672) was the most prominent of early English poets of North America and first writer in England's North American colonies to be published. She is the first Puritan figure in American Literature and notable for her large corpus of poetry, as well as personal writings published posthumously. She became the first published poet in America when her brother-in-law showed a manuscript of her work to an English publisher.On July 10, 1666, their North Andover family home burned (see "Works" below) in a fire that left the Bradstreets homeless and with few personal belongings. By then, Anne's health was slowly failing. She suffered from tuberculosis and had to deal with the loss of cherished relatives. But her will remained strong and as a reflection of her religious devotion and knowledge of the Bible, she found peace in the firm belief that her daughter-in-law Mercy and her grandchildren were in heaven.
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SPOTLIGHT: Ten inspirational women from Northampton who rocked the status quo We look at ten famous women from Northampton whose contributions made waves around the world. From arena headlining comedians to blockbuster movie actors, Northampton has more than its share of celebrities. But besides the rich and famous, the town has a noble tradition of strong women who have changed society for the better. Anne Bradstreet was born in Northampton in 1612 and was one of the first English pilgrims to make her home in the new world. After moving to Massachusetts, she became a prominent poet - her first volume of poems The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America was published in 1650. She died in 1672. (North Hampton Chronicle; 5/2/24) READMORE>>>>> |
In his book, Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature, C.S. Lewis writes, “We must picture these Puritans as the very opposite of those who bear the name today: as young, fierce, progressive intellectuals, very fashionable and up-to-date.” Without a doubt, Lewis’s description of Puritans describes very well the person and work of Anne Bradstreet. (Jeremy W Johnston) |
Is it true that Grace Kelly performed at the Edinburgh Festival?
Princess Grace was, in September 1976, one of three performers in a poetry recital. The audience in Edinburgh's St. Cecilia's Hall gave an enthusiastic reception to readings from American poets such as 17th-century Anne Bradstreet (who was actually born in England) through to more modern luminaries such as Ogden Nash and T. S. Eliot. Princess Grace's fellow performers were the US actor Richard Kiley and the mellifluously voiced British actor Richard Pasco, but there was little doubt who was the star of the show.
(Daily Mail; 4/30/24) READMORE>>>>>
Princess Grace was, in September 1976, one of three performers in a poetry recital. The audience in Edinburgh's St. Cecilia's Hall gave an enthusiastic reception to readings from American poets such as 17th-century Anne Bradstreet (who was actually born in England) through to more modern luminaries such as Ogden Nash and T. S. Eliot. Princess Grace's fellow performers were the US actor Richard Kiley and the mellifluously voiced British actor Richard Pasco, but there was little doubt who was the star of the show.
(Daily Mail; 4/30/24) READMORE>>>>>
America’s First Poet, Anne Bradstreet: A Progressive Conservative
Anne Bradstreet (1612–1672) was a pioneer in two ways: She was a pioneering settler in 17th-century New England who helped establish a new community in the New World, and she was also a pioneering poet who in 1650 became America’s first published poet and one of the first professional female poets in English literature. Despite these incredible “firsts,” she is not as well-known as other American historical or literary figures. This is due, in part, to the fact that she defies categorizing. Even though Anne Bradstreet lived in what modern feminists might classify as an oppressive and patriarchal society, it boggles some scholars’ minds how she could be so progressive yet so contentedly traditional as a woman, mother, and wife. She was a poet—at a time when few women were—and she wrote on a range of subjects: history, politics, religion, culture, spirituality. Yet, she also wrote tenderly about marriage and family obligations. In many ways, Anne Bradstreet could be aptly described as a progressive conservative. (The Imaginative Conservative; 3/19/24) READMORE>>>>>
Anne Bradstreet (1612–1672) was a pioneer in two ways: She was a pioneering settler in 17th-century New England who helped establish a new community in the New World, and she was also a pioneering poet who in 1650 became America’s first published poet and one of the first professional female poets in English literature. Despite these incredible “firsts,” she is not as well-known as other American historical or literary figures. This is due, in part, to the fact that she defies categorizing. Even though Anne Bradstreet lived in what modern feminists might classify as an oppressive and patriarchal society, it boggles some scholars’ minds how she could be so progressive yet so contentedly traditional as a woman, mother, and wife. She was a poet—at a time when few women were—and she wrote on a range of subjects: history, politics, religion, culture, spirituality. Yet, she also wrote tenderly about marriage and family obligations. In many ways, Anne Bradstreet could be aptly described as a progressive conservative. (The Imaginative Conservative; 3/19/24) READMORE>>>>>
Anne Bradstreet
“…God doth not afflict willingly, nor take delight in grieving the children of men: he hath no benefit by my adversity nor is he the better for my prosperity; but he doth it for my advantage, and that I may be a gainer by it. And if he knows that weakness and a frail body is the best to make me a vessel fit for his use, why should I not bare it, not only willingly but joyfully? The Lord knows I dare not desire that health that sometimes I have had, least my heart should be drawn from him, and set upon the world.”
--Anne Bradstreet, Letter: To My Dear Children
--Anne Bradstreet, Letter: To My Dear Children
Anne Bradstreet
Iron till it be thoroughly heated is incapable to be wrought; so God sees good to cast some men into the furnace of affliction, and then beats them on his anvil into what frame he pleases.
— Anne Bradstreet
“Authority without wisdom is like a heavy ax without an edge -- fitter to bruise than polish.”
-- Anne Bradstreet
“If we had not winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” -- Anne Bradstreet
Anne Bradstreet
“It is reported of the peacock that priding himself in his gay feathers he ruffles them up; but spying his black feet he soon lets fall his plumes. So he that glories in his gifts and adornings should look upon his corruptions, and that will damp his high thoughts.” -- Anne Bradstreet
William Edgar Files
Indeed, redemptive history is sprinkled with great men and women who struggled at some point with deep discouragement and despair. A well-known example is Martin Luther (1483–1546), who had bouts with depression caused, for example, by contracting the bubonic plague in 1527, or, ironically, by the success of the Reformation and his doubts about his ability to guide it forward. He called such bouts anfechtung, “assaults” that threatened his convictions. Another example is Anne Bradstreet (1612–1672), the remarkable Puritan poet, who admitted to her children that she had traversed serious periods of doubt. “Many times hath Satan troubled me concerning the verity of the Scriptures,” she wrote in a letter she left them after she died. But she remained in the faith.
--William Edgar; Desiring God; The Faith Crisis of Francis Schaeffer 2.4.23
--William Edgar; Desiring God; The Faith Crisis of Francis Schaeffer 2.4.23