Women within the Puritan community were treated unfairly based on their gender. Women’s roles within the Puritan community were compromised due to their husbands thinking the very least of them and considering them weaker, both physically and mentally. Anne Bradstreet, a Puritan poet, began to write poetry that portrayed the struggles of a Puritan, in particular a Puritan wife against the hardships of the New England colonial life. In addition, Bradstreet wrote several love poems to her husband. The purpose of her love poems, for example “To My Dear and Loving Husband,” was to explain how much she loved her husband. However, during this time period, parts of what was said in her poem created conflict with the Puritan belief because the inferiority
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For example lines 11-12, “Then while we live, in love let 's so persevere, / That when we live no more we may live ever.” These lines express how powerful her and her husband’s love is for each other, and how they hope it continues to be that way after death. However, Puritans do not believe in this paradox, or something that may sound absurd but when explained is true; marriage was not seen to be continuous and was suppose to end after death. Another example that conveys her views despite Puritan behavior is shown in lines 5-6: “I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold, / Or all the riches that the East doth hold.” In this example, she explains how she loves her husband more than gold. She compares her husband to a treasure and explains how he is more import than a “prize.” However, as a Puritan nothing is supposed to come between your relationship with God, including a husband. Therefore, by incorporating these lines into her poem, she continues to express her own view regardless of what her strict religion says. Many scholars have discussed Anne Bradstreet, along with many other Puritan women and how they are not treated equally compared to the men in their society. For example, in VESA’s article, “The Complementary Poetic Vision of Anne Bradstreet” he argues how the women are capable of performing some of the same activities as the men such as writing poetry; however, the women cannot persuade the Puritans to believe that the “women’s poetry would enhance men’s perspective” (p. 82). So it is clear, that the Puritan women have tried to express their potentials with writing in order to improve and help out their
For example lines 11-12, “Then while we live, in love let 's so persevere, / That when we live no more we may live ever.” These lines express how powerful her and her husband’s love is for each other, and how they hope it continues to be that way after death. However, Puritans do not believe in this paradox, or something that may sound absurd but when explained is true; marriage was not seen to be continuous and was suppose to end after death. Another example that conveys her views despite Puritan behavior is shown in lines 5-6: “I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold, / Or all the riches that the East doth hold.” In this example, she explains how she loves her husband more than gold. She compares her husband to a treasure and explains how he is more import than a “prize.” However, as a Puritan nothing is supposed to come between your relationship with God, including a husband. Therefore, by incorporating these lines into her poem, she continues to express her own view regardless of what her strict religion says. Many scholars have discussed Anne Bradstreet, along with many other Puritan women and how they are not treated equally compared to the men in their society. For example, in VESA’s article, “The Complementary Poetic Vision of Anne Bradstreet” he argues how the women are capable of performing some of the same activities as the men such as writing poetry; however, the women cannot persuade the Puritans to believe that the “women’s poetry would enhance men’s perspective” (p. 82). So it is clear, that the Puritan women have tried to express their potentials with writing in order to improve and help out their