Anne Bradstreet

A detailed Summary of Anne Bradstreet


During the period of time when the role of women was that of a "helpmate", and their most complicated job entailed simple household tasks, Anne Bradstreet broke these barriers and became the first published poet from the English colonies. The poet Anne Bradstreet wrote about her life and how her trials urged her to conduct self-inspections in an effort to attempt to subdue the material desires of this world. In Bradstreet's poem "Upon the Burning of Our House," Puritan ideals are reflected throughout. There are several traits one must possess in order to be considered Puritan. The idea of Divine Providence and Original Sin, believing that worldly pleasures are an unhealthy vanity, and possessing faith are just a few examples of Puritan ideology.

To start off with, Divine Providence is the belief that God controls all things, that His will is evident in worldly events. Bradstreet visibly reflects this view. As Bradstreet's house burns to the ground, she still "blest His name that gave and took" (line 14) believing th


This excellent example of Divine Providence can lead us right into the idea of Original Sin. Puritans believed in the idea that all are born into this world with sin on their shoulders. With this idea that all are sinners, when misfortunes occur, it is a chance for people to reflect on their own flaws. In this case, Bradstreet blames the fire to a lack of strength in her spirituality. She feels that the fire is a lesson from God not to be so vain about worldly possessions. In the end of the poem she vows to leave all her possessions behind, with the quote "The world no longer let me love / My hope and treasure lies above" (lines 54-55). She gives God glory even in hardship and uses the event to make her faith stronger.

ise the Lord throughout his turmoil.

Finally faith is a quality that a Puritan must possess. My interpretation of faith is to believe or have stock in something that you cannot see with the physical eye. It is amazing that in the midst of her great tragedy Bradstreet turns her eyes to God, havi

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Approximate Word count = 694
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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