To My Husband and Other Poems (Dover Thrift Editions)

Rating:
Summary: One of the great foremothers of American literature
Review: Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672), a poet of colonial North America, is a pioneering figure in the history of literature of this continent. "To My Husband and Other Poems" gathers together 72 pages of her poetry. Hers is, despite the centuries that separate us from her, a very engaging and meaningful poetic voice.

Many of the poems in this volume are about her family members, and about the joys and sorrows of family life. Bradstreet writes with great warmth and sensitivity about her husband, children, parents, grandchildren, and daughter-in-law. Her poem "To my Dear and loving Husband" is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful love poems ever written. Overall, her family-related poems give real insight into the struggles faced by women of her era, but these poems also have a universality that transcends her time.

There is a lot of other good stuff in this volume. Bradstreet's voice is often quite witty (especially in "The Author to her Book"). "The Prologue" is a fascinating proto-feminist defense of female literary aspiration. Also fascinating is her tribute to England's Queen Elizabeth I. Bradstreet's poetry is essential for scholars of American literature. But her work should be read not just for scholarship, but also for the real humanity and artistry of her voice.