Early New England Meditative Poetry: Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor

by Charles E. Hambrick-Stowe

Book by Stowe, Hambrick Charles, Taylor, Edward

Genres: Poetry

270 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1989

Reviews

[Cameron Barham]

“O Time the fatal wrack of mortal things,
That draws oblivions curtain over kings,
Their sumptuous monuments, men know them not,
Their names without a Record are forgot,
Their parts, their ports, their pomp’s all laid in th’ dust
Nor wit nor gold, nor buildings scape times rust;
But he whose name is grav’d in the white stone
Shall last and shine when all of these are gone.”
~ Anne Bradstreet, “Contemplation 33”

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good! This is a collection of poetry from American puritans, including Anne Bradstreet. These poems are touching! They convey real emotions about real life - tender love for spouses, daily work, the feelings of a mother about her children growing up and leaving home, and heart-felt grief and struggle to understand the death of loved ones. The poems about losing young children are heart-breaking. This volume makes the puritans real people with feelings any person can identify with.

Also interesting, this volume is published by a Roman Catholic publishing house. The introduction describes how puritan poetry was similar to and different than the classic Catholic mystical works coming out at the same time. Both expressed heart-felt devotion. However, the Puritans were very grounded in the Scriptures, while surprisingly they say writers like St Theresa seem to have not even had a Bible but relied on intuitive experiences. The Catholic writers were monks and nuns, while Puritans write about everyday spirituality: the application of Christianity to the daily lives of the mother and the farmer and the household. Quite an interesting book.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

While recently reading an interview with author Geraldine Brooks I became interested in finding this volume of poetry. Ms. Brooks made reference to Anne Bradstreet as one of her favorite poets, and one whose and life was a resource for her as she studied the history and writing of the 1600's in America, as she prepared for the writing of Caleb's Crossing. While the spelling and use of language was not always easy to follow, this volume had a guide as to the current English spelling or comparable wording, following many of the poems. Most of the poems in this collection speak of Ms. Bradstreet's daily life, as well as the emotional ups and downs she faces.
Several are tributes to those of her children who died in infancy, while others tell of adult children and grandchildren. One is a long soliloquy during the long absence of her husband when he takes a voyage back to England. A thread throughout all is her deep faith.
I found the poems by Edward Taylor to be more difficult to read, and only read a few of those.