HalfaMoon Day 5 - Moods - Before The Birth Of One Of Her Children by Anne Bradstreet

[snowynight]

All things within this fading world hath end,
Adversity doth still our joys attend;
No ties so strong, no friends so dear and sweet,
But with death's parting blow is sure to meet.
The sentence past is most irrevocable,
A common thing, yet oh, inevitable.

How soon, my Dear, death may my steps attend.
How soon't may be thy lot to lose thy friend,
We both are ignorant, yet love bids me
These farewell lines to recommend to thee,
That when that knot's untied that made us one,
I may seem thine, who in effect am none.

And if I see not half my days that's due,
What nature would, God grant to yours and you;
The many faults that well you know
I have Let be interred in my oblivious grave;
If any worth or virtue were in me,
Let that live freshly in thy memory

And when thou feel'st no grief, as I no harms,
Yet love thy dead, who long lay in thine arms.
And when thy loss shall be repaid with gains
Look to my little babes, my dear remains.
And if thou love thyself, or loved'st me,
These O protect from step-dame's injury.

And if chance to thine eyes shall bring this verse,
With some sad sighs honour my absent hearse;
And kiss this paper for thy love's dear sake,
Who with salt tears this last farewell did take.

Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672) was the America's first published poet. She was also the first female poet ever published in both England and the New World. She was a well read scholar and prolific poet. Her poems focused on her role as a wife and mother of eight children, her Puritan faith, and her struggle with suffering in her life (smallpox, partial paralysis, a housefire that left her family homeless and devoid of all personal belongings, death of her family members, etc).

At that period of time, reading and writing was considered unacceptable to women. Anne couldn't acknowledge her plan of publication nor show confidence of her works. Otherwise, she would have faced criticism for being "unwomanly". Due to her medical problem, she was keenly aware of her mortality. In this poem, she expressed her realistic fear of death by childbirth, love of her children, and implored her husband to protect her children.

Biography of Anne Bradstreet

Comments

[cmk418]

This is an incredibly powerful piece and, living when she lived, women were more likely to die in childbirth. I would have been interested to find out which child's birth this poem preceded. I like how she spells it all out even as the emotions are very clearly stirring behind the scenes.

Thanks for sharing this and the notes at the end so we can get a clearer picture of her and her work.

[snowynight]

Thank you!

The poem was published after her death. If it was written after the publication of her volume of poetry "The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America" (1650), she would be 38 and about to have her youngest child John. It would be much more high risk back then.

[spiralicious]

Thank you for sharing this.

[snowynight]

You're welcome!