Anne Bradstreet Book order

Anne Bradstreet, the first true poet in the American colonies, emerged during a time when literary creation was rare, especially for women. Born in England and raised in the household of the Earl of Lincoln, she sailed to Massachusetts Bay in 1630 after marrying Simon Bradstreet at sixteen. For forty years, she lived in the New England wilderness, raising eight children while facing sickness and hardship, all the while crafting poetry that established her as a pioneering voice. As noted by Adrienne Rich in her Foreword, Bradstreet was "the first non-didactic American poet," whose work embodied American nature and reflected personal intention over Puritan dogma. This volume includes all her extant poetry and prose, featuring modernized spelling and punctuation, and reproduces the second edition of Several Poems from 1678 along with a manuscript first printed in 1857. Rich's critique highlights the uneasiness surrounding women's intellectual pursuits during this era, as expressed in the Prologue of her early poems. Bradstreet's literary and historical allusions in The Tenth Muse reveal her broad learning, while her later works convey a more personal tone, reflecting her deep religious sense, love for her family, and the challenges she faced. Her writings, marked by a strong spirit and wit, establish her as a poet of sensibility and lasting significance.