ANNE BRADSTREET

To My Dear and Loving Husband

If ever two were one, then surely we.

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.

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 recompense.

Thy love is such I can no way repay,

The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.

Then while we live, in love let's so persevere

That when we live no more, we may live ever.

To Her Father with Some Verses

Most truly honoured, and as truly dear,

If worth in me or ought I do appear,

Who can of right better demand the same

Than may your worthy self from whom it came?

The principal might yield a greater sum,

Yet handled ill, amounts but to this crumb;

My stock's so small I know not how to pay,

My bond remains in force unto this day;

Yet for part payment take this simple mite,

Where nothing's to be had, kings loose their right.

Such is my debt I may not say forgive,

But as I can, I'll pay it while I live;

Such is my bond, none can discharge but I,

Yet paying is not paid until I die.

Upon Some Distemper of Body

In anguish of my heart replete with woes,

And wasting pains, which best my body knows,

In tossing slumbers on my wakeful bed,

Bedrenched with tears that flowed from mournful head,

Till nature had exhausted all her store,

Then eyes lay dry, disabled to weep more;

And looking up unto his throne on high,

Who sendeth help to those in misery;

He chased away those clouds and let me see

My anchor cast i' th' vale with safety.

He eased my soul of woe, my flesh of pain,

and brought me to the shore from troubled main.

Reflection: After reading the following poems I came to the conclusion that Anne Bradstreet is a loving person and poet, and likes to expresses situations that she goes through. Also Bradstreet comes of as someone who expresses themselves in witting better than verbally. I can relate to this because I too express myself better in writing. These poems also show you the time period that they took place in, for example in To My Dear and Loving Husband she says, "I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold Or all the riches that the East doth hold," which proves that during this time there were riches that were to be held in the East that no one knew about bu when they were found she wanted her love to be better than that. However though Bradstreet shows her affection for her husband she still goes through some obstacles and writes about them in a way they you feel the pain that she is going through. As for in Upon Some Distemper of Body Bradstreet explains that, "And wasting pains, which best my body knows, In tossing slumbers on my wakeful bed", which allows me to fell the pain that she is going through and feel as though if i were in her shoes. To me Anne Bradstreet is a wonder full poem who takes the reader and puts them right into her situation and is able to feel the emotions that she

conveys in her poetry.

Dear Diary,

When i first laid eyes on these poems I thought they were remarkable. One thing that is so great is a couple that share love for each other equally. In these times you see that alot and I hope as time passes that people who happen to get married keep that same kind of love. Also another thing that is great about this poetry is that its expresses how we, as people coming to this new world have faith that things will work out and that is what she is hoping their love will stand through the same thing. Futhermore I love that though she may be happily married she still experiences troubles that she also expresses in her poetry. These days we all go through things that hit us hard, the movve to America was not an easy one, and when you have been through such a long hard journey you learn when you get hit with an obstalce be ready to pick yoursevle back up and prepare for the next one. I guess its just a good feeling when you know there is someone out there that feels the same way you do.