I have a lot of respect, in particular, in the way she sarcastically addresses her position as a woman writing poetry.
"I am obnoxious to each carping tongue
who says my hand a needle better fits,
A poet's pen all scorn I should thus wrong,
For such despite they cast on female wits;
If what I do prove well, it won't advance,
They'll say it's stol'n or else it was by chance"
You tell them, girl! I can't imagine what life would have been like for Bradstreet. I cannot say that I know what if feels like to be judged because I am a woman. I have lived a life in which women, for the most part, are equal to men. I cannot help but have the utmost respect for women like Bradstreet who are willing to stand up for themselves not only as the home figure, but also as a writer.
I also found this stanza very beautiful:
"Shall I praise the heavens, the trees, the earth
Because their beauty and their strength last longer?
Shall I wish there, or never to had birth,
Because they're bigger, and their bodies stronger?
Nay, they shall darken, perish, fade, and die,
And when unmade, so ever shall they lie,
But man was made for endless immortality."
Bradstreet definitely had a gift for words. It is very evident in the few poems we read by her that she is absolutely in love with God. I really admire her vulnerability, in the way she admits that she sometimes has doubts about her faith but always ends up seeing that God really is everything.
The life Bradstreet led was one completely different from today, and yet it is so easy to relate to what she writes. As a woman, I too sometimes find it difficult to find where I really stand in society. It is hard to come to terms with the role that God has given me as a female, along with being a sort of "educated career woman." Who would ever expect that in 2010, I could share the same feelings as someone in 1678? It is a strange, yet oddly beautiful thing.
Great post, Kamie! Thanks for pointing out that last stanza--it is absolutely gorgeous. I also appreciate how you pointed out that Bradstreet stood up for herself as both a home figure and a writer. From the works of hers that we read ("A Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment" and "To My Dear Children" in particular) it's clear that her family was important to her. Writing was important, too, but it wasn't everything or I'm guessing she wouldn't have seemed so upset at the publishing of her work.
ReplyDeleteI shared your surprise at how in 2010 I can be having the same thoughts and feelings as someone in the 1600s. I also find it difficult as a woman to sort out where I stand in relation to God, society, and education/eventual career. And as Bradstreet shows us, this isn't a new problem...
I enjoyed your post :)