Anne Bradstreet

Date of Birth: March 20, 1612

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Date of Death: September 16, 1672

Biography

Anne Bradstreet was an English-American poet born in 1612 in Northampton, England. She was the daughter of Thomas Dudley, a steward of the Earl of Lincoln, and Dorothy Yorke. In 1628, at the age of 16, she married Simon Bradstreet. Two years later, in 1630, Anne and her husband emigrated to America with the Winthrop Fleet, a group of Puritan emigrants. Anne Bradstreet is considered to be the first published American poet and one of the most important early poets of the American colonies. Her work was characterized by its deep religious faith and personal reflections. Despite the many hardships she faced, including illness and the challenges of colonial life, she wrote extensively. Her first collection of poems, “The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America,” was published in 1650 in England, reportedly without her knowledge. Her later works, which were more personal and introspective, were published posthumously in the collection “Several Poems Compiled with Great Variety of Wit and Learning” in 1678. Anne Bradstreet’s poetry often dealt with themes of love, nature, family, and the struggles of life. Her work has been studied for its historical significance and literary merit, and she remains a significant figure in American literature.

5 Interesting Facts about Anne Bradstreet

1. Anne Bradstreet was the first woman to be recognized as an accomplished New World Poet.

2. She wrote her poems while managing a household and raising eight children.

3. Her brother-in-law, John Woodbridge, took her poems to England and published them without her prior knowledge.

4. Despite the Puritan belief that women should not engage in scholarly pursuits, Anne Bradstreet was highly educated and well-read.

5. Her work often explored the tension between the Puritan faith and personal emotion.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Anne Bradstreet

1. “If ever two were one, then surely we. If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.”

2. “My love is such that Rivers cannot quench, Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.”

3. “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

4. “Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish.”

5. “I am obnoxious to each carping tongue, who says my hand a needle better fits.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

As a 17th-century poet, Anne Bradstreet did not achieve significant financial wealth from her writing. Her highest net worth would have been modest, primarily derived from her family estate and her husband’s work as a colonial administrator.

Children

Anne Bradstreet had eight children with her husband Simon Bradstreet: 1. Samuel Bradstreet (1632-1683) 2. Dorothy Bradstreet (1635-1672) 3. Sarah Bradstreet (1638-1704) 4. Simon Bradstreet (1640-1689) 5. Hannah Bradstreet (1642-1717) 6. Mercy Bradstreet (1647-1716) 7. Dudley Bradstreet (1648-1702) 8. John Bradstreet (1652-1719)