Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672), although born in England, is considered to be the
first American poet. She is also revered as the first woman to be published.
Married to Simon Bradstreet at age sixteen, she ventured with her family to the
Massachusetts colony. Simon, the governor of Massachusetts colony, served a
major role in her life and her literary career. He was the subject in many of
the poems included in the two volumes Bradstreet had published. A Puritan all
her life, Bradstreet led a simple life guided by principles of grace, plainness,
and divine missions. In “To My Dear and Living Husband”, she shows her
devotion to her husband in a smooth and simple manner. We can see from the poem
the strong feelings she has for her husband. However, she contradicts some of
her Puritan beliefs at certain points in the poem. To Anne Bradstreet, her
husband is exactly what he should be; the love of her life. Over and over again
she expresses her devotion to him with a repetition of images. One such image is
presented in lines 5-7. She states... “I prize my love more than whole mines
of gold Or all the riches that the East doth hold. My love is such that rivers
cannot quench,...” She states here that she would accept nothing in return for
the love that she shares with her husband and that no power, great or small,
could destroy it. Love is a tricky subject to many, and to some: a fictional
thing. On a personal note, I hope to one day find this love that she speaks of.
Bradstreet’s love for Simon is untouchable and eternal. “To My Dear and
Living Husband” is a beautiful and well-written poem. In breaking apart the
structure, we see that the poem contains twelve lines, each containing ten
syllables. Since each line is write in the iambic fashion of alternating
unstressed syllables and stressed syllables, we can conclude that the poem is a
sonnet. However, since the rhyme scheme is AA BB CC DD EE FF, we see that it
does not fit in as one of the more famous Shakespearean or Petrarchian sonnets.
In the first line, we see the togetherness Anne and Simon share as she says the
two of them are one. Physically, this is a paradox. No two people can be united
as one. But, however, spiritually, the two complete each others’ life , so
that, in marriage, they are one. Throughout lines 1-3, Bradstreet gives their
relationship as an example to others with phrases like, “If ever two were
one”, “If ever one were loved by wife”, and “if ever wife was happy in a
man.” In lines 1 and 3, we see two sound examples of alliteration. The “w”
sound is repeated in the phrases “two were one” and “ever wife was”. In
line 4, the author seems boastful of her relationship. But I will address that
subject later. As I mentioned earlier, lines 5-7 present images which show her
love for Simon. Some may view these three lines as a hyperbole, but love can
completely change a person. And as a Puritan, Bradstreet has no desire or need
for “mines of gold” or eastern riches anyway. In lines 7-8, we see an
insignificant fault in the poem. The rhyming pattern throughout the entire poem
is exact rhyme. Lines 7-8 are a forced rhyme (quench & recompense. In the
9th line, she says that his love for her can in no way be repaid. This can be
seen as a symbol of how great her love is, or as an example of synaesthesia; for
there is no way to purchase or pay for true love. Metonomy is seen in line 10
with the word “heavens”. When the author speaks of the heavens repaying him,
heaven is symbolic of God or life. Soundwise, line 11 is one of the most
beautiful and flowing lines of the poem. When the author says, “while we live,
in love let’s so persever”, we see alliteration of the “w” sounds,
alliteration and consonance of the “l” sounds, and alliteration and
consonance of the “s” sounds. This allows for the words to flow well and
just roll of your tongue. Lines 11 and 12 each contain a ceasura. These pauses
in the middle of the line make the statement seem to add emotion to mere printed
words. Finally, in line 12, we reach what I consider to be the strongest
statement in the poem: “That when we live no more, we may live ever.”. This
line is a paradox. Although Anne Bradstreet insists that their love is eternal
and that after they die, they shall continue loving one another, it is
physically impossible to be dead yet still living. The poem is written in a 17th
century, old-English style. We can base this on the use of words such as
“thee”, “ye”, “thy”, and “doth”. Although Anne Bradstreet was a
Puritan for the entirety of her life, “To My Dear and Loving Husband” may or
may not be a reflection of Puritan life. The Puritans were Protestants who
sought to be simple, yet religiously and morally strict. One other Puritan
belief is that one should not become too emotionally attached to anything.
Throughout the poem, we see that Bradstreet is attached to Simon to the point
that she’d love him after their death. Also, as I mentioned earlier, in line 4
she seems boastful of their love for each other. She calls out to other women in
a bragging manner, “Compare with me...if you can”. However, she redeems
herself in the last three lines. Here she prays to the heavens and speaks of the
afterlife. It is a difficult to decide whether this poem is a reflection of
Puritan life. That is left open to opinion. In conclusion, we can plainly see
the great love Anne Bradstreet had for her husband Simon. She expresses this
through imagery, symbolism, and many other poetic devices. A devout Puritan, it
is left to opinion whether or not she reflected the Puritan lifestyle, but one
thing is for sure. Anne Bradstreet had a love for her husband that could not be
matched by anything on this world.