Anne Bradstreet Research Paper

Colonial American poet Anne Bradstreet’s work has persevered as a literary representation of Puritanism and early America. Bradstreet wrote about God, about the new world, about her family, and domestic life. At first glance her poetry might seem purely Puritanical in form and in subject. However, when examined more deeply, Bradstreet’s poetry shows to be different and more complex, but showing signs of her religious doubts, her expression of personal emotions and thoughts, and her artistry. Her poems are subtly but notably different from traditional Puritan poetry in that she did not write to preach or teach, as most all Puritan writers were instructed to, but she instead expresses herself through her writing. She also has a vivid appreciation
The world no longer let me love,
My hope and treasure lies above (Heath 434)

Bradstreet acknowledges that earthly objects are expressions of vanity, that her wealth on earth had no significant meaning, and that real wealth lies with God. At first glance, the poem can be interpreted as a didactic poem; what the poet should feel, she does feel. However, upon further investigation, the poem expresses Bradstreet’s conflict between the pleasure of earthly things and the piety of trusting in God’s will. Bradstreet struggles between her own intellectual religiousness, and genuine emotional feeling.
Anne Bradstreet's poetry shows that she was a dynamic woman, struggling to find a balance between religion and earthly life in a time and a place with rigid rules and expectations, especially for a woman. Her inclusion of feelings and emotions of her private life and opinions, along with her accounts of religious life, are one of the reasons her work has survived for over 200 years. She subtly shows her rebellious, inquiring spirit and her need for self-expression while carefully walking the line of social and religious