essay on to my dear and loving husband

To My Dear and Loving Husband Summary & Analysis by Anne Bradstreet

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

"To My Dear and Loving Husband" is a poem by the Colonial American poet Anne Bradstreet. The poem was first published in 1678, as part of Bradstreet's posthumous collection Several Poems . Bradstreet was the first poet—and the first woman—in colonial America to write and publish a book of poems. The poem is autobiographical and describes the passionate love between the speaker and her husband. The speaker describes that love as pure and redemptive. The poem thus implicitly argues against some religious poets who describe love as a sinful or unholy act.

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The Full Text of “To My Dear and Loving Husband”

1 If ever two were one, then surely we.

2 If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.

3 If ever wife was happy in a man,

4 Compare with me, ye women, if you can.

5 I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold,

6 Or all the riches that the East doth hold.

7 My love is such that rivers cannot quench,

8 Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.

9 Thy love is such I can no way repay;

10 The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.

11 Then while we live, in love let’s so persever,

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

“To My Dear and Loving Husband” Summary

“to my dear and loving husband” themes.

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Women, Desire, and Tradition

Marriage, Wealth, and Desire

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “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 persever, That when we live no more, we may live ever.

“To My Dear and Loving Husband” Symbols

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“To My Dear and Loving Husband” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

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End-Stopped Line

Alliteration, “to my dear and loving husband” vocabulary.

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “To My Dear and Loving Husband”

Rhyme scheme, “to my dear and loving husband” speaker, “to my dear and loving husband” setting, literary and historical context of “to my dear and loving husband”, more “to my dear and loving husband” resources, external resources.

Anne Bradstreet Biography — A detailed biography of Anne Bradstreet from the Poetry Foundation.

A Letter to Her Husband, Absent Upon Publick Employment by Anne Bradstreet — Another poem by Anne Bradstreet about her husband, Simon Bradstreet.

Biography of Petrarch — A detailed biography of Petrarch, with comments on his legacy and impact on European love poetry, from the Academy of American Poets.  

Search on for burial site of America’s first published poet — An article from the AP on the search to discover Anne Bradstreet's burial site, with several photos of her manuscripts and early editions of her works.

"To My Dear and Loving Husband" Read Aloud — "To My Dear and Loving Husband" read aloud by Liza Ross.

LitCharts on Other Poems by Anne Bradstreet

Before the Birth of One of Her Children

The Author to Her Book

Verses upon the Burning of our House

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

To My Dear and Loving Husband

By Anne Bradstreet

‘To My Dear and Loving Husband’ by Anne Bradstreet is like a breath of fresh air. Her deep and genuine love for her husband is clear and evident in this poem.

Anne Bradstreet

Nationality: American

Notable works include  ' The Author to Her Book '  and  ' To My Dear and Loving Husband .'

Poem Analyzed by Allisa Corfman

Degree in Secondary Education/English and Teacher of World Literature and Composition

To read ‘To My Dear and Loving Husband’ by Anne Bradstreet in modern-day, 21st century America , is kind of like stepping into a daydream. In a society where the majority of marriages fail, scandal runs rampant, and divorce is almost expected, this poem of Anne Bradstreet is like a breath of fresh air. Her deep and genuine love for her husband is clear and evident.

Explore To My Dear and Loving Husband

• 2 Analysis, Line by Line
• 4 Structure and Rhyme Scheme
• 5 Literary Devices
• 6 Historical Background

‘ To My Dear and Loving Husband ‘ by Anne Bradstreet is a beautiful poem praising the mutual love between the poet and her beloved husband.

‘To My Dear and Loving Husband’ by Anne Bradstreet is a love poem. It talks about the sweet relationship between the poet and her husband. Through this poem, the poet glorifies her loving husband. She feels like they are no different. They are one. There are no such materialistic things that can be compared with their feelings for one another. The poet has a thirst for the love of his husband, and his heart has the thing the poet longs for. In fact, by writing this verse , Anne Bradstreet wants to immortalize her love for her husband. As poetry is something that outlives men, their love will remain forever in these lines of the poem.

‘One day I wrote her name upon the strand’ by Edmund Spenser also says the same thing at its end.

Analysis, Line by Line

Bradstreet begins the poem, ‘To My Dear and Loving Husband’ , with a proclamation.

If ever two were one, then surely we.

This reveals her truly deep love for her husband by claiming that if any two people in the history of marriages have ever been bonded together as though they were one person, then surely she and her husband are bonded together in this deep and intimate way.

If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.

In the second line, Bradstreet reassures her husband of her own love and commitment to him by claiming that she loves him as much as any woman has ever loved a man. This is a great claim, as there are countless lovers in the world. But she is confident that she loves her husband as much as any woman has ever loved a man.

If ever wife was happy in a man, Compare with me, ye women, if you can.

In the third and fourth lines, she reassures her husband that she is happy with him. She challenges him to compare her with any other woman and see that she herself is happiest of all women because she is married to him.

I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold, Or all the riches that the East doth hold.

In the fifth and sixth lines, she proclaims to her husband that his love is worth far more to her than any amount of money could ever be worth. She claims that she values his love “more than whole mines of gold” and even more than “all the riches that the East doth hold”. This shows that she values the human feeling of love in connection and commitment to another person far more than she could ever value any amount of material wealth.

My love is such that rivers cannot quench,

In the seventh line, she reveals that even though she is the happiest of women, she does not count herself fully satisfied, because the nature of her love for him is such that she feels she can never get enough. This is why she says. “My love is such that rivers cannot quench”.

Nor  ought  but love from thee give  recompense .

In the eighth line, she reveals her gratitude for being the recipient of her husband’s love, by claiming that she could never “recompense” his love. This shows that she feels so loved by her husband that she doesn’t believe she could ever make him feel as loved as he has made her feel.

Thy love is such I can no way repay; The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.

In the ninth line, she reiterates her thought that his love is deeper than what she could ever return by saying, “Thy love is such I can no way repay”. And since she doesn’t believe that she herself could ever repay her husband for the love he has bestowed on her, she prays to God that He will bless her husband in reward for the way he has loved his wife (line 10).

Then while we live, in love let’s so persever, That when we live no more, we may live ever.

She ends ‘To My Dear and Loving Husband’ by claiming that they will persevere in love until the end. Bradstreet has no doubt that she and her husband will stay married and in love until one passes from this life to the next. This is revealed when she says, “Then while we live, in love let’s so persever”.

The final line of this poem ends with a small glimpse into the next life. She says, “That when we live no more, we may live ever”. This line suggests that their love with being eternal. She believes that even after this life is over, they will continue to be in love for all of eternity.

‘To My Dear and Loving Husband’ is a subjective poem about the poet’s love for her dear husband. The poetic persona in the poem, the poet herself, adopts an amorous tone in the poem. In each line of the poem, her tone emanates the spirit of love. She creates a mood of romance in the verse. The tone of the poem has a distinct quality in comparison to the romantic poems written by a man for his lady love. The womanly tone of the persona adds a different flavor to the poem. The cool and calm sensation of the soothing breeze of nature is there in the poem. There is also a tone of gratitude in the poem. The poet appears to be grateful for her husband’s presence in her life. For this reason, she says, “Thy love is such I can no way repay”.

Structure and Rhyme Scheme

Anne Bradstreet’s ‘To My Dear and Loving Husband’ is a short poem of twelve lines. The poet employs the closed couplet form in the poem. Every two lines of the poem are able to reflect the completeness of sense. It was famous at the time while Anne Bradstreet was writing this poem. As the poet uses the closed couplet form, the rhyme scheme of the poem naturally has to be a regular one. Likewise, the poet uses the regular rhyme scheme in the poem. The rhyme scheme of the poem is AA BB CC DD. It goes on like this until the end.

As an example, in the first two lines of the poem, “we” and “thee” rhyme together. In the following two lines, “man” and “can” are rhyming together. The last two lines contain “persever” and “ever”. These two words rhyme together in the mentioned lines. Such kind of rhyming of the poem maintains a fluid-like flow in the poem. It never halts in the middle. Like the love of the poet for her beloved husband never ceases.

Literary Devices

‘My Dear and Loving Husband’ contains several important literary devices. Let’s have a look at the devices used in the poem. The first three lines of the poem begin with the same words “If ever”. It’s an example of anaphora . The second line of the poem contains hyperbole . The poet uses hyperbole to emphasize her feelings for her husband. It’s not for mere exaggeration . Likewise, the poet uses another hyperbole in the next line. There is an apostrophe in the line, “Compare with me, ye women, if you can.”

There is a metonymy in the usage of the word “East” in the poem. The poet uses a personification in the line, “The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.” Here, an abstract concept “heaven” seems to be acting like a person who can give rewards. It is also a metonymy. The last line presents an antithesis . It also sounds like an epigram . There is greater truth behind this line.

‘To My Dear and Loving Husband ‘ contains some important metaphors in the poem. It is needless to say such poems with high intensity of emotions must contain metaphors to give poetic emotions wings to fly and a voice to sing. The poet uses a metaphor in the line, “I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold”. It refers to the invaluable quality of love. In the line, “My love is such that rivers cannot quench”, the poet compares her love to thirst. It is also another metaphorical reference to physical love. The poet uses a metaphor of a valuable object by using the word “repay” in the 9th line of the poem. In the last line of the poem, the phrase, “live ever” is a metaphorical reference to the immortal quality of art or a poem. It also refers to eternity.

Historical Background

Anne Bradstreet was one of the very first women to publish any poetry or works of literature in America. She was a Puritan, and so she believed in life after death and put her hope in this belief. This is shown in the last two lines of ‘To My Dear and Loving Husband’ .

Bradstreet had many intellectual ideas and loved to discuss religion. She enjoyed nature and writing, and she became a beacon of hope for many female writers who wished to be acknowledged for their intellect. Although Bradstreet adhered to the male hierarchy promoted in her society at this time, one must remember that she was a Puritan and that under her influence and beliefs, she did her best to promote the acknowledgment of the intellect and ability of women everywhere.

Bradstreet did not fight the system, as many later women would, but this is perhaps because in her personal experience, she had a loving father and a loving and gentle husband, and so she promoted women within the context of male hierarchy. She did not, apparently, personally feel the oppression many women must have felt at her time.

This poem particularly reveals that Anne seems to have been in a loving and genuine marriage in which her husband did not oppress her, but loved and esteemed her.

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Allisa Corfman, I really appreciated your analysis of Anne Bradstreet’s “To My Dear and Loving Husband”.Glad for this tool to help me guide my 16 year old son, for his assignment in an Early American Literature class. He is an honors student and usually very good in English courses, but still struggles when it comes to Poetry. My son does enjoy the various forms of literature, and from hearing his many negative comments and dramatic rantings over similar assignments, one can be certain that poetry is his least favorite type. The rantings were very comical… ” Why was she ( Anne Bradstreet) needing to write such a poem and also to publish it? That was unheard of for women of their time and religion!” Didn’t her husband know how much she really loved him, without it?” It could’ve been shorter, without repeating several words, including the word love.” Although, in …  Read more »

Hi there Cherie,

Sorry but Alissa doesn’t write for us any longer. I hope you don’t mind me replying in lieu of her? Your message was really lovely and I didn’t want it to go unanswered! Poetry can certainly be tricky! It took me a long time to really start to grasp poems without (ironically) using this web site! I am a father but my kids are too young to rebel against subjects they don’t like, but I really hope they have a love for poetry. In fact I think i’m going to start adding poetry to their bedtime reading just to make sure! It sounds like you have done a fab job of raising your son though, pressing him to strive for better! Good for you! Thank you for visiting our site and don’t be a stranger!

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Corfman, Allisa. "To My Dear and Loving Husband by Anne Bradstreet". Poem Analysis , https://poemanalysis.com/anne-bradstreet/to-my-dear-and-loving-husband/ . Accessed 27 June 2024.

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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 persever[e] That when we live no more, we may live ever.

Literary Analysis

Structural analysis, guidance for usage of quotes.

“ 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.”

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

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To My Dear and Loving Husband

The poem seems autobiographical as the speaker describes the love between her and her husband. Anne Bradstreet was a Puritan and Puritans considered love poems as sinful, but this poem argues against those religious poets who considered love poetry as an unholy act. 

Background of the Poem

Literary context.

She introduces a new kind of love poem that does not altogether follow the prevailing tradition of poetry at that time.

Historical Context

To my dear and loving husband summary.

The poem begins with the speaker saying that if two people were to become one, they would surely be us. The speaker addresses her husband that if a husband was ever loved by his wife, then he is surely loved. Then she says that if a wife is happy with her husband, then she is surely happy.

To My Dear and Loving Husband Themes

To my dear and loving husband literary analysis.

The poet adopts Puritan Plain Style which is characterized by plain and simple language in order to express herself clearly. Another characteristic of such style is the inversion in which the normal order of words is reversed. This shows the Puritan background of Anne Bradstreet.

She does not compare her marriage with the marriages of other women but tells them to compare theirs with hers. Here is a shift in the apostrophe, she is now not addressing a single person, her husband but all the women.

Heavens in the 10th line refer to God. The reference to the heavens shows the poet’s religious mindset and background that belongs to Puritans.

Significance of the Title

It is apparent from the title of the poem “To My Dear and Loving Husband” that the poem’s speaker is a wife who is speaking about her husband. Since the title expresses the love of the wife for her husband, a reader can easily guess that it is a love poem.

Point of View

The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray. (line 10)

Literary Devices

Alliteration.

If ever man were loved by wife, th en th ee; (line 2)

The consonant sound “w” is repeated at the beginning of words in the above line.

It is the repetition of the same vowel sound in successive words in a poetic line. For example:

Thy love is such I can no w a y rep a y; (line 9)

My love is such that rivers ca nn ot que n ch, (line 7)

The consonant sound “n” is repeated in words in the above line.

Anastrophe (inversion)

If ever two were one, then surely we. (line 1)

The above successive lines repeat the word “If” at the beginning.

In the above line from the poem, the speaker alludes to the riches and wealth in the East in the seventeenth century. East was considered as the golden sparrow for the deposits of wealth and riches there. The speaker says that she values her husband’s love even more than the riches that lie in the East. This reference shows the intensity and depth of the speaker’s love for her husband.

End-stopped Lines

Since “To My Dear and Loving Husband” is a poem about love, the speaker keeps on praising her husband and her marriage in an exaggerated manner. Such as:

The reader, by no means, can doubt the sincerity of the speaker’s love for her husband but the language seems highly hyperbolic. 

Renaissance love poetry particularly Petrarchan tradition highly used hyperbole where male poets would describe the women they love in a very idealized manner. The poet of “To My Dear and Loving Husband” uses hyperbole as a literary technique in order to show that a woman poet is capable of following the Petrarchan tradition just like male poets.

Personification

It is the attribution of human qualities to something non-human. For example:

A paradox is a self-contradictory statement. For example:

If ever two were one , then surely we. (line 1)

She loves her husband more than all the riches of the earth. She cannot be satisfied with anything but the love of her husband which she values more than anything.

The word live is also repeated in the last line, but the sense is different both times. The first time she uses live , she means to point towards death when she says “That when we live no more…”. The word is repeated in the same line but with a different meaning. She says “…we may live ever.” H ere she points towards eternal life.

Rhyme Scheme

My love is such that rivers cannot quench, (line 7)

Nor ought but love from thee recompense. (line 8)

“Quench” and “recompense” are slant rhymes. The use of slant rhymes introduces hesitation in the otherwise smooth and plain poem. The use of the slant rhymes is appropriate here because the speaker shows the depth of her love and claims that nothing can satisfy her. The slant rhymes here show the failure of other things to satisfy her.

Using such a grand form of poetry for the poem, the poet actually asserts that her marriage is an important and grand subject just as any traditional heroic subject. 

Regular Rhymes

we (line 1)

can (line 4)

repay (line 9)

Slant Rhymes

More from anne bradstreet.

Anne Bradstreet: Poems

By anne bradstreet, anne bradstreet: poems summary and analysis of "to my dear and loving husband".

The poet speaks to her husband, celebrating their unity and saying that there is no man in the world whose wife loves him more. If there was ever a wife more happy with her husband, the poet asks those women to compare themselves to her. She prizes her husband's love more than gold or the riches of the East. Rivers cannot quench her love and no love but his can ever satisfy her. There is no way she can ever repay him for his love. She believes they should love each other so much that when they die, their love will live on.

Anne Bradstreet ’s passionate love poems to her husband are some of the memorable in her canon because of the rawness of her expression. “To my Dear and Loving Husband” is frequently read at weddings due to its succinct yet bold expression of marital love. It resembles a Shakespearean sonnet and is twelve lines long.

The poem begins with Bradstreet describing herself and her husband as one being. She states that there is no other woman in the world who is as happy with her husband as she is. She then offers examples of material wealth and beauty, but she prizes her husband's love more than gold and all the riches of the East. She describes her love as thirst by writing that Rivers cannot quench her yearning. The implied image is sensual, subtly alluding to sexual desire. She needs his love and cannot live without it - she claims that only his love can “give re-competence.”

Then, Bradstreet shifts into a spiritual perspective, writing that there is no way she can repay her husband for his love and that she hopes Heaven will “reward thee manifold.” She believes that while she and her husband are living on Earth, they should love each other as fully as possible so that when they ascend to Heaven, their love will be eternal as well.

Marriage was a central relationship in Puritan society. Men and women married young and were expected to remain together until they died. Puritan society did not tolerate divorce or adultery, although cases of both are certainly present in the historical record. Husbands and wives were supposed to adhere to the Biblical definition of marriage, which emphasized mutual love and respect. However, Puritans were not supposed to place all of their efforts in the relationship on Earth, but rather, to glorify God through their union. As the Poetry Foundation's page on Bradstreet explains, marriage was very important and the focus on family was crucial; however, “the love between wife and husband was not supposed to distract from devotion to God. In Bradstreet’s sonnets, her erotic attraction to her husband is central, and these poems are more secular than religious.”

Robert J. Richardson writes that the development in "To My Dear and Loving Husband" is “clear and logical." The poet's husband loves her so much that in order to find something that equals it, she must turn her sights Heavenward. The lovers’ union in Heaven “is the outcome of their Earthly love” which is an emblem of what awaits the saved. As in many of Bradstreet’s poems (see “Contemplations”), Earth and Heaven “validate each other” because “Love is the way to Heaven, and the best image of Heaven is a realm of eternal love.” Bradstreet aspires to ascend to Heaven, and expects that the love that she shares with her husband will exist in the afterlife.

Anne Bradstreet: Poems Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Anne Bradstreet: Poems is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

"For my pen are to superior things " explain the line

I'm sorry, can you please provide the name of Bradstreet's poem? The only lines I've been able to find that correlate are attached below:

“I am obnoxious to each carping tongue Who says my hand a needle better fits. A poet’s pen all scorn I should...

why is new england reffered to as daughter and a limb of old england?

Bradstreet styled this poem as a dialogue between Old England, the mother, and her daughter, New England. New England asks her mother why she is suffering and mournful, especially since she possesses more wealth and national glory. The mother...

I'm sorry, you have not provided the title of the poem in question.

Study Guide for Anne Bradstreet: Poems

Anne Bradstreet: Poems study guide contains a biography of Anne Bradstreet, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Anne Bradstreet: Poems
• Anne Bradstreet: Poems Summary
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Essays for Anne Bradstreet: Poems

Anne Bradstreet: Poems essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Anne Bradstreet's poetry.

• Anne Bradstreet and Struggles to Conform
• A Puritan’s Response to Loss: An analysis of Anne Bradstreet’s “Upon the Burning of Our House”
• Anne Bradstreet Poem Explication
• Bradstreet Among the Moderns: Comparing Visions of Love
• An Analysis of Bradstreet's "A Letter to Her Husband, absent upon Publick Employment"

Lesson Plan for Anne Bradstreet: Poems

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To My Dear and Loving Husband

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Poems That Say Thank You

Classic and contemporary poems of gratitude to send when you’re feeling thankful.

Classic and contemporary love poems to share.

by Anne Bradstreet (read by Laura Marks)

Writing Ideas

1. Rewrite Bradstreet’s poem using contemporary language and metaphors. What might the modern equivalent of “mines of gold” be? How might you profess your love in an equally devoted, but more modern context?

2. At the beginning of the poem, Bradstreet uses anaphora, or the repetition of sentence structure, to reinforce her feelings. “If ever two were one, then surely we,” she writes. “If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.” Using Bradstreet’s conditional syntax as a model, replace her examples with ones relevant to your own experience.

Discussion Questions

1. Though a pious Puritan, Anne Bradstreet’s poem to her “Dear and Loving Husband” is a passionate plea for true and everlasting romantic love. How might the ideas she expresses here be considered contrary to the prevailing sentiments of her time and place?

2. In structuring her argument, Bradstreet uses the conditional (if, then). Does this stance put her on the offensive or defensive? Is her argument convincing? How does the use of rhyming couplets bolster her assertions?

3. Bradstreet equates her love to “riches,” which she prizes “more than whole mines of gold”, though the Puritans considered themselves above such capitalistic goals. Why, then, would Bradstreet make such a comparison? What other metaphors does she use in her poem? What do words like “recompense,” “repay” and “reward” have to do with her argument?

Teaching Tips

1. Have students bring in the lyrics to a favorite love song. In small groups, have them develop a list of qualities that a love song typically has (common images, purposes, ideas, speakers, audiences, etc.). In a large group, ask students to consider the reasons why love songs are written. 2. After listening to the podcast of the poem and marking their text as they listen, have students work in small groups to identify the parts of this text. Students may identify differences between the opening quatrain, the series of couplets that fortify the argument, and the powerful final couplet. Ask small groups to share how they would characterize the parts of the poem in terms of form, purpose, meaning, ideas, images, etc.

3. In small groups, have students design the visual script of a video to accompany this poem. What images best capture the persona of the speaker, her relationship to her husband, and “ye women?” Some students may actually produce a video with an audio recording and accompanying images.

The Author to Her Book

By night when others soundly slept, contemplations, a dialogue between old england and new, the four ages of man.

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This poem has learning resources.

Anne Bradstreet was the first woman to be recognized as an accomplished New World Poet. Her volume of poetry The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America ... received considerable favorable attention when it was first published in London in 1650. Eight years after it...

• U.S., New England
• Marriage & Companionship
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To My Dear and Loving Husband

16 pages • 32 minutes read

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Summary and Study Guide

“To My Dear and Loving Husband” is a lyric poem by Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672), most likely written during the early 1640s. Intimate and autobiographical, the poem directly addresses the poet’s husband, Simon Bradstreet, praising their mutual love and the depth of their companionship. The poem both exemplifies Bradstreet’s ideas about matrimony and epitomizes American women’s writing in the 17th century.

Bradstreet attracted some critical and public notice during her lifetime after publishing her poetry collection The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung up in America in 1650. However, many of her most famous poems were unprinted until her posthumous collection Several Poems Compiled with Great Variety of Wit and Learning (1678). “To My Dear and Loving Husband” appeared in the latter collection, alongside other lyric poems centered upon family, love, and faith.

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Poet Biography

Although now closely associated with the birth of early American poetry, Anne Dudley was born in Northampton, England, on March 8, 1612. Her parents, Thomas and Dorothy Dudley, were both devout Puritans. Her father was a steward on the estate of the Earl of Lincoln, enabling Anne to grow up in considerable financial comfort and stability. Anne married Simon Bradstreet in 1628 and would later become known as a writer under her married name. The couple had eight children over two decades, with seven surviving into adulthood.

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Two years after her marriage, she emigrated with her husband and her parents to Massachusetts to join one of the new Puritan settlements in what is now the United States. They sailed aboard the Arabella , arriving in America in July 1630. Their first few years in America were difficult due to these early settlements’ rudimentary conditions and chronic lack of food and resources. They moved several times to different Puritan colonies within Massachusetts before settling down in North Andover in 1645. The couple established themselves in a comfortable home and became closely intertwined with their local community, with Bradstreet’s husband even serving as Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony after her death.

Although Bradstreet lived at a time when educated women were still something of a rarity, she had received an excellent education while growing up on the Earl of Lincoln’s estate. With her father’s support, Bradstreet became an avid reader from a young age, becoming familiar with both the classics of Greece and Rome as well as the most famous writers from the “Golden Age” of Elizabethan England. By 1632, at the age of 19, she had begun writing poetry of her own. In 1650, a collection entitled The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung up in America appeared in print on both sides of the Atlantic, bringing Bradstreet a degree of public notice and admiration for her verse. It is the first poetry collection published by a female writer in America.

Many of Bradstreet’s most personal lyric poems were unpublished until after her death, when an expanded collection, Several Poems Compiled with Great Variety of Wit, was released in 1678. These intimate lyrics provide valuable insight into the emotional, social, and spiritual realities of a Puritan woman in the 17th century, with Bradstreet openly broaching such topics as her love and desire for her husband, her attachment to her children, and even her occasional fears of illness and childbirth. Some poems also express the depth and complexity of her religious faith, reflecting both her moments of ambivalence and her eagerness to form a close personal communion with God.

After a long bout of illness, Bradstreet died on September 16, 1672, at home in Massachusetts. She was 60 years old. While there is some confusion in locating her original gravesite, a commemorative grave marker was installed in the North Andover cemetery in 2000 to honor her legacy. Bradstreet remains an important figure in the history of American letters, both as a voice of the early Puritan experience and as a pioneer of women’s writing more generally.

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 persever,

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

Bradstreet, Anne. “ To My Dear and Loving Husband .” 1678. Poetry Foundation.

“To My Dear and Loving Husband” expresses Bradstreet’s love and commitment to her husband, Simon, by addressing him directly. The poem opens with a series of statements reflecting upon the deep and passionate reciprocity in their marriage, emphasizing the mutual and equal nature of the spousal affections. The speaker then describes how limitless and priceless their love is, claiming that it is worth more than all earthly riches. She also describes love as sufficient unto itself, as something that can be satisfied only by more love. Confessing that she feels she could never repay her husband for all his love, she calls upon heaven to reward him amply instead. The poem closes with the speaker urging her husband to join her in continually nurturing their companionship so that the integrity of their marital bond and faith will ensure their salvation after death.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Anne Bradstreet — Analysis Of Anne Bradstreet’s Poem To My Dear And Loving Husband

Analysis of Anne Bradstreet's Poem to My Dear and Loving Husband

• Categories: Anne Bradstreet Poetry

About this sample

Words: 1043 |

Published: Dec 16, 2021

Words: 1043 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

Works Cited

• Brenzo, J. (2020). The Value of Love in Anne Bradstreet's Poetry. Essay Sauce.
• Bradstreet, A. (n.d.). To My Dear and Loving Husband. Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45136/to-my-dear-and-loving-husband
• Gelpi, A. (1995). The Puritan Poets. In S. Bercovitch (Ed.), The Cambridge History of American Literature (pp. 54-78). Cambridge University Press.
• Greenlaw, E. (n.d.). Anne Bradstreet. Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/anne-bradstreet
• Longsworth, P. (1988). Anne Bradstreet's Poetry: A Study in Subversive Pietism. The New England Quarterly, 61(1), 25-49.
• Martin, W. (2019). Anne Bradstreet. Encyclopædia Britannica.
• Nilsen, H. N. (2020). Literary Analysis: Anne Bradstreet's To My Dear and Loving Husband. HubPages. https://hubpages.com/literature/Anne-Bradstreets-To-My-Dear-and-Loving-Husband-An-Analysis
• Payne, T. (n.d.). Love in Anne Bradstreet's Poetry. Bartleby.
• Ruff, N. S. (2020). The Love in Anne Bradstreet's Poems. Owlcation.
• Williamson, C. D. (1988). The Politics of Anne Bradstreet's Household Poems. Early American Literature, 23(1), 68-83.

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Analysis of the Poems “To My Dear and Loving Husband” and “Huswifery” Essay

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Numerous poets emerged during the 17th century in Colonial America. Notably, the most documented poets were Puritans from the Massachusetts Bay colony, for example, the renowned Edward Taylor (Shi and Tindall 134). Works of literature, including poems, became part of the tools utilized to convey important information among the colonists. Anne Bradstreet’s 1678 poem “To My Dear and Loving Husband” and Edward Taylor’s 1685 argue the virtuousness of marital love and how best individuals can know and serve God, respectively. By analyzing the poems critically, one can note the similarities and differences between Taylor and Bradstreet. The two poets share the same faith and are dedicated to their respective goals, yet both use different writing styles to convey their messages and feelings.

Firstly, one can easily tell from the poem that Taylor and Bradstreet share the same religion. Although the messages in their works differ significantly, faith is central in both. Taylor employs the metaphor of weaving cloth to request God to mold him to be a rightful Christion. In a manner that suggests total submission, humility, and loyalty, the poet desperately says, “make me thy loome then, knit therein this twine, and make the Holy Spirit, Lord, wind quills” (7-8). Here, the persona asks God to use him as He wishes by sending the Holy Spirit, a gesture of total trust in religion. Bradstreet equally shows her belief in religion by submitting that she cannot repay her husband’s unwavering love, but “the heavens reward thee manifold, I pray” (10). Hence, the poets are unquestionable of the same monistic religion, specifically Christians since they were Puritans. Puritans had migrated from Great Britain to escape religious persecution and settled in New England, where they had the freedom to exercise their faith (Shi and Tindall 134). Their settlement in the region was focused on creating a compulsory religious uniformity.

Secondly, the two poets are devoted to their distinct goals. Taylor is convinced that humankind should submit to God for spiritual comfort and growth. Since the ultimate goal of Christians is to be rewarded by God after serving him entirely while alive, Taylor argues that people should show total dedication to the doctrine. The persona asks God that every part of his life, “mine Understanding, Will, Affections, Judgment, Conscience, Memory My Words, and Actions,” to be filled with “holy robes for glory” (13-18). Such submission is an argument depicting loyalty to religious life. Similarly, Bradstreet’s poem shows her total conviction on the power and the correlation between love and life after death. The speaker believes that love enables her to enter heaven by saying, “Then while we live, in love let’s so persevere. That when we live no more, we may live ever” (11-12). Bradstreet is refuting the traditional belief that viewed love and sexuality as sinful. The Puritan society during the 17th century disregarded explicit depictions of affections, passion, and desire, especially by women (Ahmad 25). However, Bradstreet shows her commitment to celebrating marital love as God-given and rightful.

However, Taylor and Bradstreet differ significantly in their styles of writing. Taylor writes using philosophical metaphors that require one to analyze thoroughly to understand the poem. The figure of speech is important in creating excellent mental images. For example, Taylor writes that “Thine Ordinances make my Fulling Mills” (10). The statement contains a deep metaphor that says in simple language that God is the authority whose instructions lead to perfection the same way a clothmaker cleanses cloth. On the contrary, Bradstreet talks and writes directly. Her poem uses simple language that is easily understood without much thinking. Throughout the poem, the speaker leaves no room for interpretation by talking straightforwardly. For instance, in the first line, the poet shows the simplicity of language by writing, “if ever two were one, then we,” referring to the oneness of the speaker and her husband (1). Therefore, a critical analysis of the two poems shows the difference between Taylor and Bradstreet in their use of language to convey their ideas. Taylor’s writing requires thorough analysis and interpretation while Bradstreet’s is easy to understand.

In short, an in-depth analysis of the poems “To My Dear and Loving Husband” and “Huswifery” gives an idea of the poets’ similarities and differences. Both writers are Christian and have strong faith in the significance of religion, especially in the afterlife. Although the two writers explore different ideas, religious issues play a fundamental role in delivering the message. Additionally, Taylor and Bradstreet are devoted individuals as seen from their commitment to their respective concepts. Bradstreet shows her unflinching belief in the virtuousness of marital love, while Taylor portrays his unwavering conviction in God’s authority in human life. Nevertheless, the two poets have stark differences in their use of language and writing styles. Bradstreet uses a simple and direct writing style, whereas Tayler employs complex and indirect language.

Works Cited

Ahmad, Zaheer. “Hester Prynne as a Rebel to Puritan Society in Hawthorne’s Romance the Scarlet Letter.” Journal of Philosophy, Culture and Religion, vol. 7, no. 1, 2015, pp. 25-27.

Bradstreet, Anne. “To my dear and loving husband.” Poetry Foundation, Web.

Shi, David E., and George Brown Tindall. America: A N arrative H istory . 9th ed., WW Norton & Company, 2016.

Taylor, Edward. “Huswifery.” Poetry Foundation. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2022, October 6). Analysis of the Poems “To My Dear and Loving Husband” and “Huswifery”. https://ivypanda.com/essays/analysis-of-the-poems-to-my-dear-and-loving-husband-and-huswifery/

"Analysis of the Poems “To My Dear and Loving Husband” and “Huswifery”." IvyPanda , 6 Oct. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/analysis-of-the-poems-to-my-dear-and-loving-husband-and-huswifery/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Analysis of the Poems “To My Dear and Loving Husband” and “Huswifery”'. 6 October.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Analysis of the Poems “To My Dear and Loving Husband” and “Huswifery”." October 6, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/analysis-of-the-poems-to-my-dear-and-loving-husband-and-huswifery/.

1. IvyPanda . "Analysis of the Poems “To My Dear and Loving Husband” and “Huswifery”." October 6, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/analysis-of-the-poems-to-my-dear-and-loving-husband-and-huswifery/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Analysis of the Poems “To My Dear and Loving Husband” and “Huswifery”." October 6, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/analysis-of-the-poems-to-my-dear-and-loving-husband-and-huswifery/.

To My Dear and Loving Husband

The theme focuses on a biblical or spiritual connection. Being a religious or spiritual person is similar with being someone whose highest priority is to be loving to yourself and others. In most experiences the energy of love creates us and sustains us. Self-Identity, Freedom, and Death are brought out in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”. This story introduces Mrs. Mallard as she reacts to her husband’s death, keeping in mind that in the 19th century, women were expected to live under the financial and social control of their husbands.

The second choice was the poem “To my Dear and Loving Husband” by Ann Bradstreet. The love she describes relates to fairytales. Her genuine love for her husband is clear and evident. In the poem “To My Dear and Loving Husband”, (Bradstreet) we have a devoted Christian woman that can’t openly express her love but wants her husband to know it. In the short story “The Story of an Hour”, the author talks about a devoted wife that loves her husband on the outside, but inside her feelings can never be known.

Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour’ is written as a short story. In this short story, Chopin portrays the complexity of Mrs. Mallard’s emotions as she is disheartened yet blissful. Louise Mallard’s need to be freed from her husband, disguises the restrictive nature of life at that point. The husband Brently’s apparent train wreck takes place in spring, where you have birds singing and flowers blooming.

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Normally, you would associate death with darkness and cold. The abundance of life symbolizes Louise’s new freedom, that withers once Brently is discovered to be alive. For Louise, death represents her freedom. Her husband’s alleged death releases her from the confinement of domesticated life, momentarily affording her a freedom she did not recognize she wishes for. Once Brently returns unharmed, Louise dies on the spot. In the 19th century, women were expected to live under the financial and social control of their husbands. In this moment, Louise recognizes an opportunity that she now can escape from this burden. In this story, the death of her husband was her escape. The tone is melancholy because the unspoken happiness that seems to rule her life is realized only when she receives word of her husband’s death. Mrs. Ballard is spiritual in her feelings, but a devoted wife non-the less.

The poem “To My Dear and Loving Husband” by Ann Bradstreet, begins by describing herself and her husband as united beings. She states that there’s no alternative girl within the world that is as proud of her husband as she is. Bradstreet takes us to a more spiritual aspect, writing that there is no way she can repay her husband for his love and that she hopes Heaven will “reward thee manifold.” (Bradstreet 10) The poet’s husband loves her and to find the one thing that equals it, she should look towards Heaven. In many educated teachings, love is all that that is Heavenly. The writer talks about reaching Heaven and expects that the love that she shares with her husband can exist within the life they will lead once they pass from this earth. This poems tone is passionate, emotional, and endearing. The speaker of this poem talks about her affection regarding money and riches for two distinct reasons. Now and again, she utilizes the riches that is esteemed on earth to indicate how unimportant material belonging are when contrasted with emotions. Bradstreet uses imagery to describes the love between her and her husband. Her deep and genuine love for her husband is very clear and truthful. This is all used to create the writer as a devoted and spiritual being.

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Dear Abby: I love my husband, but lately almost everything he says makes me angry or annoyed

• Published: Jun. 22, 2024, 4:00 a.m.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips.

• Abigail Van Buren

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been together 20 years, married for 12. We have weathered ex-spouses, step-parenting, nine military deployments between us, serious health issues and everyday normal life. My husband is an infinitely better person than I am, and I have always tried to care for him. We are in our early 40s and recently retired.

This year, our children will be out of the house, and we have bought a beautiful home in a dream location for the two of us to start our next adventure together. I love my husband, but over the last few years, almost everything he says makes me extremely angry or annoyed. I have never felt like this before in our relationship, and I don’t know why this is happening now. No one else makes me feel this way.

I don’t know where to start on addressing the problem. I have told my husband a little bit, and he says he feels like I no longer love him or need him. But, Abby, I do everything for him. I manage all our bills and finances. I cook three meals a day. I clean the house, the yard and the cars. I do everything he asks for if he needs help or assistance. I try to always be there if he needs to talk or vent. I stay in shape and available for him. I don’t know what else to do to make him feel loved and to make my anger go away. Please help. -- MYSTIFIED IN NORTH CAROLINA

DEAR MYSTIFIED: I’m not sure your husband is “an infinitely better person” than you are. I wish you had mentioned one thing that he does to make YOU feel loved and needed, because from where I sit, you have been shouldering the entire load. Your anger and resentment may stem from your awakening to this fact. Those feelings may dissipate if you discuss them with a marriage and family therapist, preferably in the presence of your husband.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

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