Anne Bradstreet Poetry
Anne Bradstreet (ca. 1612-1672)
The Flesh and the Spirit
1In secret place where once I stood
2Close by the Banks of Lacrim flood,
3I heard two sisters reason on
4Things that are past and things to come.
5One Flesh was call'd, who had her eye
6On worldly wealth and vanity;
7The other Spirit, who did rear
8Her thoughts unto a higher sphere.
9"Sister," quoth Flesh, "what liv'st thou on
10Nothing but Meditation?
11Doth Contemplation feed thee so
12Regardlessly to let earth go?
13Can Speculation satisfy
14Notion without Reality?
15Dost dream of things beyond the Moon
16And dost thou hope to dwell there soon?
17Hast treasures there laid up in store
18That all in th' world thou count'st but poor?
19Art fancy-sick or turn'd a Sot
20To catch at shadows which are not?
21Come, come. I'll show unto thy sense,
22Industry hath its recompence.
23What canst desire, but thou maist see
24True substance in variety?
25Dost honour like? Acquire the same,
26As some to their immortal fame;
27And trophies to thy name erect
28Which wearing time shall ne'er deject.
29For riches dost thou long full sore?
30Behold enough of precious store.
31Earth hath more silver, pearls, and gold
32Than eyes can see or hands can hold.
33Affects thou pleasure? Take thy fill.
34Earth hath enough of what you will.
35Then let not go what thou maist find
36For things unknown only in mind."
Spirit.
37"Be still, thou unregenerate part,
38Disturb no more my settled heart,
39For I have vow'd (and so will do)
40Thee as a foe still to pursue,
41And combat with thee will and must
42Until I see thee laid in th' dust.
43Sister we are, yea twins we be,
44Yet deadly feud 'twixt thee and me,
45For from one father are we not.
46Thou by old Adam wast begot,
47But my arise is from above,
48Whence my dear father I do love.
49Thou speak'st me fair but hat'st me sore.
50Thy flatt'ring shews I'll trust no more.
51How oft thy slave hast thou me made
52When I believ'd what thou hast said
53And never had more cause of woe
54Than when I did what thou bad'st do.
55I'll stop mine ears at these thy charms
56And count them for my deadly harms.
57Thy sinful pleasures I do hate,
58Thy riches are to me no bait.
59Thine honours do, nor will I love,
60For my ambition lies above.
61My greatest honour it shall be
62When I am victor over thee,
63And Triumph shall, with laurel head,
64When thou my Captive shalt be led.
65How I do live, thou need'st not scoff,
66For I have meat thou know'st not of.
67The hidden Manna I do eat;
68The word of life, it is my meat.
69My thoughts do yield me more content
70Than can thy hours in pleasure spent.
71Nor are they shadows which I catch,
72Nor fancies vain at which I snatch
73But reach at things that are so high,
74Beyond thy dull Capacity.
75Eternal substance I do see
76With which inriched I would be.
77Mine eye doth pierce the heav'ns and see
78What is Invisible to thee.
79My garments are not silk nor gold,
80Nor such like trash which Earth doth hold,
81But Royal Robes I shall have on,
82More glorious than the glist'ring Sun.
83My Crown not Diamonds, Pearls, and gold,
84But such as Angels' heads infold.
85The City where I hope to dwell,
86There's none on Earth can parallel.
87The stately Walls both high and trong
88Are made of precious Jasper stone,
89The Gates of Pearl, both rich and clear,
90And Angels are for Porters there.
91The Streets thereof transparent gold
92Such as no Eye did e're behold.
93A Crystal River there doth run
94Which doth proceed from the Lamb's Throne.
95Of Life, there are the waters sure
96Which shall remain forever pure.
97Nor Sun nor Moon they have no need
98For glory doth from God proceed.
99No Candle there, nor yet Torch light,
100For there shall be no darksome night.
101From sickness and infirmity
102Forevermore they shall be free.
103Nor withering age shall e're come there,
104But beauty shall be bright and clear.
105This City pure is not for thee,
106For things unclean there shall not be.
107If I of Heav'n may have my fill,
108Take thou the world, and all that will."
Notes
2] Lacrim flood: a torrent of tears.
67] Manna: heavenly food (Revelation 2.17).
76] inriched: probably sounded "inrichèd."
85] The City: New Jerusalem (Revelation 21-22).
“A Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment”
Anne Bradstreet
My head, my heart, mine eyes, my life, nay more,
My joy, my magazine, of earthly store,
If two be one, as surely thou and I,
How stayest thou there, whilst I at Ipswich lie?
So many steps, head from the heart to sever,
If but a neck, soon should we be together.
I, like the Earth this season, mourn in black,
My Sun is gone so far in's zodiac,
Whom whilst I 'joyed, nor storms, nor frost I felt,
His warmth such fridged colds did cause to melt.
My chilled limbs now numbed lie forlorn;
Return; return, sweet Sol, from Capricorn;
In this dead time, alas, what can I more
Than view those fruits which through thy heart I bore?
Which sweet contentment yield me for a space,
True living pictures of their father's face.
O strange effect! now thou art southward gone,
I weary grow the tedious day so long;
But when thou northward to me shalt return,
I wish my Sun may never set, but burn
Within the Cancer of my glowing breast,
The welcome house of him my dearest guest.
Where ever, ever stay, and go not thence,
Till nature's sad decree shall call thee hence;
Flesh of thy flesh, bone of thy bone,
I here, thou there, yet both but one.
Bradstreet, "A Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment" (272)
1. What is the controlling image of the first six lines? In what ways does it set the stage for the expression of the poem's other sentiments? Would you describe this image as conventional or unconventional? Where does it recur in the poem?
2. Lines 7 and 8 introduce several new patterns of imagery that extend throughout the poem. What allusion to classical myth do these lines introduce?
3. Who is the "Sun" in this poem? Think about the kinds of associations that this word typically evokes and its use in earlier writers (Shakespeare, for example): Sun/Son.
4. Discuss the complex relationship in this poem between compass directions (Ipswich/Boston, north/south), seasons of the year, and signs of the Zodiac. Does Bradstreet use paradox to convey her meaning?
5. In what ways might this be considered a surprising poem for a Puritan woman to write? Does it celebrate the body?
6. What troubling issues might result in Bradstreet’s use of the Zodiac?
“Before the Birth of One of Her Children”
Anne Bradstreet
All things within this fading world hath end,
Adversity doth still our joys attend;
No ties so strong, no friends so dear and sweet,
But with death's parting blow are sure to meet.
The sentence past is most irrevocable,
A common thing, yet oh, inevitable.
How soon, my Dear, death may my steps attend,
How soon't may be thy lot to lose thy friend,
We both are ignorant, yet love bids me
These farewell lines to recommend to thee,
That when the knot's untied that made us one,
I may seem thine, who in effect am none.
And if I see not half my days that's due,
What nature would, God grant to yours and you;
The many faults that well you know I have
Let be interred in my oblivious grave;
If any worth or virtue were in me,
Let that live freshly in thy memory
And when thou feel'st no grief, as I no harmes,
Yet love thy dead, who long lay in thine arms,
And when thy loss shall be repaid with gains
Look to my little babes, my dear remains.
And if thou love thyself, or loved'st me,
These O protect from stepdame's injury.
And if chance to thine eyes shall bring this verse,
With some sad sighs honor my absent hearse;
And kiss this paper for thy dear love's sake,
Who with salt tears this last farewell did take.
Bradstreet, "Before the Birth of One of Her Children"
1. Why would Bradstreet have felt it necessary to write this kind of poem? Why is childbirth associated with death?
2. What is the movement of the poem? From abstraction and conventional sentiments to specific and individual experiences?
3. What are her requests? Why does she juxtapose abstract sentiments with specific statements about "stepdame's injury"?
4. Why does Bradstreet use the term "remains" for her children? What several meanings does this word have?
5. In what ways does Bradstreet make use of these analogies and paradoxes? Body/paper, present body/absent body, works or poems/ children, present time/future time, life/death, fresh memory/oblivious grave, body/spirit.