In the 1600s, a patriarchal society cast a glooming shadow on the world of literature. Women were expected to be restricted to household tasks, while only men had the opportunity to write. Hence, Anne Bradstreet became a symbolic figure of female writing as she became the first published female poet in the New World. Her writing served as a window to observe the newly discovered land. Although she writes about and consistently emphasizes her devotion to God that the conventional Puritan beliefs promote, Bradstreet implicitly shows a priority for world pleasures. Through her diction, tone, and literary devices, Bradstreet shows an unquenchable desire for worldly pleasures that solidify her stance of a poet who conforms externally but internally
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Her diction formulates different tones that allow the reader to identify and weigh subjects of importance to her. In To My Dear and Loving Husband, Bradstreet uses different word choice for different topics to propose her view. As she talks about her husband, she uses strong words and passionate phrases to convey her meaning. She challenges others to "compare with [her]" …show more content…
With literary devices, Bradstreet addresses a previously unmentioned type of social conformity of gender roles. In the 1600s, society predominantly concluded that women were set to be housewives and had no roles in literature. In The Author To Her Book, Anne Bradstreet notes the flaws in women and her writing. At the surface, Bradstreet compares her poem to an "ill-formed offspring...[who is] unfit for light." She criticizes her lack of fluent writing. This external view of the poem convey a socially coherent view. She also accentuates the simplicity that is preached in the New World by carrying such patterns in her poems. It can be seen that Bradstreet uses constant meter and rhyming couplets to convey her messages in her works. However, under careful inspection, it can be seen that Bradstreet questions such ideas. When she condemns herself for her lack of skills, she is using an iambic pentameter to corroborate her point. While she recognizes the position of society, she actually lashes against it in a relatively secretive manner. Her actions challenge her intentions, and show that she is conflicted with what she externally seems to agree
Her diction formulates different tones that allow the reader to identify and weigh subjects of importance to her. In To My Dear and Loving Husband, Bradstreet uses different word choice for different topics to propose her view. As she talks about her husband, she uses strong words and passionate phrases to convey her meaning. She challenges others to "compare with [her]" …show more content…
With literary devices, Bradstreet addresses a previously unmentioned type of social conformity of gender roles. In the 1600s, society predominantly concluded that women were set to be housewives and had no roles in literature. In The Author To Her Book, Anne Bradstreet notes the flaws in women and her writing. At the surface, Bradstreet compares her poem to an "ill-formed offspring...[who is] unfit for light." She criticizes her lack of fluent writing. This external view of the poem convey a socially coherent view. She also accentuates the simplicity that is preached in the New World by carrying such patterns in her poems. It can be seen that Bradstreet uses constant meter and rhyming couplets to convey her messages in her works. However, under careful inspection, it can be seen that Bradstreet questions such ideas. When she condemns herself for her lack of skills, she is using an iambic pentameter to corroborate her point. While she recognizes the position of society, she actually lashes against it in a relatively secretive manner. Her actions challenge her intentions, and show that she is conflicted with what she externally seems to agree