Voice Of A Poetess

Anne Bradstreet was the first American poetess and considered to be one of the greatest poets of the17th century in America. The study of17th century American literature is considered to be a piece of barren land in China. Enough attention has not been paid to the literary works of this period by Chinese scholars. This thesis aims at making a systematical analysis of the features in Bradstreet’s public poems and private poems based on her poems and personal experience. The study is of great significance to provide in-depth knowledge of American literature in seventeenth century and the lives of Americans in Anne Bradstreet’s time.Bradstreet’s life can be divided into two stages:life in England and in New England. Two worlds experience greatly influence her poem writing. While the influence of growth experience in England equipped her with essential poetic skills which made it possible for her to become a poet, the New England experience enables her to compose best spiritual poems of her time.Generally speaking, Bradstreet poems can be classified into public poems and private poems. Anne Bradstreet’s public poetry, formal in subject matter and style, is most often considered as apprentice work derivative of Renaissance models. They are tedious and pedantic. Bradstreet focuses much of her attention on learning and imitating the forms, themes and skills of the giants in the history of Renaissance to steel herself to be a qualified poet. In public poems she tries her hands on the subject of scientific issues, the praise of the deceased heroes and the discussion on the political events. In her public poems, Bradstreet worked within well-established poetic traditions in creating her verse.Her private poems related to New England’s life are tender and sensual. Anne Bradstreet composes many emotional poems based on her daily life, such as sickness, death, various separations, and disappointments. The features of the subject and styles of those poems are studied in the thesis. In her private poems Bradstreet works on the subject of the love poems which are written for her husband, the family elegies which lamented the deaths of her family members, and the religious meditation which reveal her personal feelings towards her belief system in Puritan society. Her private poems are featured with the biblical language and various use of the writing techniques.