An Analysis of Anne Bradstreet's Poem, "To My Dear and Loving Husband"

The poem “To my Dear and Loving Husband” by Anne Bradstreet, is not just an exceedingly felt expression of a wife’s marital love and commitment to her husband, as it is about a puritan women who is supposed to be reserved but she makes it her obligation to enlighten her husband of her devotion. A thorough analysis of the poem’s paradox, hyperbole, imagery and repetition reveals how she conveys her message. The opening lines of the poem show how strong her feelings are for her husband. Bradstreet shows this by the use of a great example of a paradox, “if two were one, then surely we.” This shows that the magnitude of her love and affection is so deep that she’s comparing two beings as one. She praises her love for her husband so much that she is challenging and stating that “If ever man were loved by wife, then thee; If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can”
The statement that “compare with me, ye women, if you can” is the Bradstreet challenging any woman to compare their happiness with hers. Bradstreet is not only showing how blessed and satisfied she is, but also how she praises her husband like a trophy. She is not ashamed or reserved like the other puritan women. Bradstreet describes the love for her husband by using a hyperbole and imagery on lines 5-8 “I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold Or all the riches that the East doth hold. My love is such that rivers cannot quench, Nor ought but love from thee, give recompose” Bradstreet shows how much love and affection she has for husband in the line, "I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold". Puritan women are supposed to be reserved, domestic, and obedient to their husbands. Bradstreet is challenging this tradition, she is praising her husband and showing her loyalty and strong affection towards him. I can never seem to understand why puritan women were suppose to be so reserved and domestic. It would be such a boring and awful life for women