The Poem to My Dear and Loving Husband - Essay Example

To My Dear and Loving Husband by Anne Bradstreet

The poem, ‘To My Dear and Loving Husband,’ is one of the famous poems written by Anne Bradstreet. Anne Backstreet was born in 1612 to a wealthy family. It is through the influence of her family that she was able to acquire education. She is associated to being one of the most renowned early poets in America. She is a poet of puritan heritage. She was a scholar who advocated to writing literary works. She started by writing about topics relating to theology, history, politics and medicine. In other words, she wrote much of her literary works based on the observation of what was happening around her (Ferszt, Elizabeth, 310). In as much as she wrote religious poems, she also wrote secular poems. The poem, ‘To My Dear and Loving Husband,’ is not a religious but a secular one. The poem speaks primarily of love between a man and his wife. She attempts to illustrate the value a wife has on the love of her husband. The main theme of the poem is love. The poem is very short and plain. It is therefore the purpose of the paper to shed more light on the content of the poem.

Analysis of the Poem

Narrative Voice

The main subject of the poem concerns the power of love. It is through love that people are joined as one in a union. In this case it is the narrator and her husband. The title of the poem, ‘To My Dear and Loving Husband,’ shows the dedication that the narrator has on her husband. The poem is set with an emotional tone especially when she describes the happiness of her marriage. The poem starts with the narrator, Anne Backstreet, who expresses her perspective over the relationship she has with her husband. She writes that ‘if ever two were one’ (ln 1). She describes the relationship she has with her husband as being one. Her poem is a typical poem which is read in weddings to depict the significance of marital love. In the poem, she claims that there is no person who is as happy as her. When compared to valuable material resources such as money and gold, she values her husband’s love more. In her writings, she implies that the love she has for her husband is like a thirst that cannot be quenched. The poem strongly expresses her desire for the love of her husband.

The poem draws its setting from the Puritan society where Anne Backstreet was born in. The poem reflects the importance of marriage in the Puritan society. In the puritan society where Anne Backstreet belonged expected the couples who are married to stay together until death. The society is never allowed for people to get a divorce. It also prohibited any form of adultery. Despite these norms governing the Puritan society, it had its fare share of such issues occurring occasionally (LaBlanc, 378). The puritan society was strongly adhered to biblical teachings of the need for faithfulness, mutual respect and love. The union between man and woman in the Puritan society was done in an attempt to glorify the lord. In as much as there are some elements of religion in her poems, this particular one is considered as secular. The poem was written at a time when the cultural norms governing marriage were very strong. The narrator, Anne Backstreet, and her husband settled in Massachusetts in the United States. The 19th century life was hard and challenging to the couple. The region was attributed to having a growing nascent civilization. The civilization emphasized on the importance of love over material possession.

Imagery

Imagery is the words used in a literary work in an attempt to appeal to the senses of the audience. It is through the words used in the literary work that one can derive messages appealing to the six senses which are hearing, smell, taste, balance, sight and touch. The first instance of imagery can be derived from the title of the poem, ‘loving husband.’ From the phrase, it is easy for one to conclude what the poem is going to be all about. ‘Loving husband’ has something to do with family or relationship. Main theme of the love existing between the speaker and her husband provides an excellent confirmation. The second instance of imagery is shown by the description the narrator provides of their love. She states that, ‘if every two were one, then surely we’ (ln 1). It is through such expression that one can understand the way someone feels about someone else. When a person reads the first line of the poem, one ends to get a glimpse over the overall theme of the poem.

An instance of imagery is seen in the poem when the narrator uses the statement, ‘my love is such that rivers cannot quench’ (ln 7). This brings out the desires she has of her husband. In this context, she compares her love to a fire which cannot be put out by water. This brings out the perception of the deep desires she has on her husband. Furthermore, another instance of imagery which explains the love of her husband is seen in the statement, ‘if ever two were one, then surely we’ (ln 1). The word ‘one’ which the speaker uses strives to explain the union she has with her husband. The union is also a depiction of the beliefs upheld by the Puritan society (Hall, David, 12). The statement also incorporates the word ‘we.’ In as much as the word has helped with rhyming couplets, it is also an important instance of imagery. The rhyming words ‘we’ and ‘thee’ in the statement shows the marriage the narrator has with her husband. The word ‘we’ is also collective representing a union between two people. Another statement depicting imagery is ‘that when we live no more, we may live ever’ (ln 12). The phrase asserts that when they die, their love will live on. She believes in the existence of heaven where people go after they have died.

Imagery is also seen in the statement, ‘If ever man were loved by wife’ (ln 2). The phrase ‘loved by wife’ portrays an instance where the wife is madly in love with him. This is emphasized when the speaker uses the phrases ‘mines of gold’ to provide a comparison of the degree of value she places on her husband. Such statements prompt us to develop a mental picture of the degree of commitment she has to her husband. Her husband is a representation of a person whom she loves. In marriage, it is ethical that both of them stay committed if they are to abide by the Puritan way of life. The society at the time was built on values to do with commitment and love. It was prohibited for people to engage in adultery. The speaker and her husband were expected to commit to one another. As a result, they had no choice but to bring their love into fruition.

The poem employs imagery when it mentions the word ‘persevere’ in the statement, ‘then while we live, in love let’s so persevere’ (ln 11). The statement asserts that marriage is not an easy endeavor as it comes with many challenges. Having a successful marriage is related to how a couple overcomes the challenges. The poem focuses on the way married life should be. Marriage life is a life of commitment between a man and a woman. It is through marriage that two people can express their love for one another. It is because of this reason that the poem has had significant use at weddings. It is one of the emphases made to the couples that they should avoid things which could lead to their divorce.

Metaphor

The narrator has employed the use of metaphors in her poem. One instance of metaphor concerns the use of money. She mentions the words, ‘whole mines of gold’ and ‘riches’ (ln 5-6). She uses it to describe something of significant value. The typical use of a metaphor is giving an expression about something without mentioning the exact thing. For instance, in our case, Anne Backstreet compares the value she places on gold and riches with that she places on her marriage. The metaphor can explain why the narrator begun the poem with the statement, ‘If ever two were one, then surely we’ (ln 1). She is in love with her husband so much that she states that, ‘If ever man were loved by wife, then thee’ (ln 2). It is the expression of her love for her husband that prompts her to use the metaphor.

The narrator also employs a metaphor when she quotes the statement, ‘love is such I can no way repay’ (ln 9). One word that stands out in the statement is ‘repay,’ which makes one assume that love is something similar to a transaction. In order for any transaction to be successful, both parties must come to an understanding. Therefore, she implies that love is something that should even out eventually especially among people who are committed to one another. The idea of love is a transaction comes in the statement, ‘give recompense’ (ln 8). The word ‘recompense’ implies that the only love she is willing to accept is the love from her husband. The words make it seem like the love is a transaction involving commodities of equal value. If something is given something of equal value should be given back. Another instance of a metaphor is seen in the statement, ‘the heavens reward thee manifold I pray’ (ln 10). Anne Backstreet makes a confession that the heaven should reward her husband. She implies that the lord should rewards him for his love for her. When one thinks of a reward, one tends to think of monetary connotations. The metaphor is an expression of the love she have for her husband (Bradstreet, and Lavinia, 10). The reward implies the price of her husband’s love. The statement, ‘the heavens reward thee manifold I pray’ (ln 10) implies that earthly love is a representation of the union in heaven. In her poem, she asserts that love places one on the path to heaven considering that the symbol of eternal love relates to the heavenly realm.

The narrator also employs a metaphor when she makes that statement, ‘my love is such that rivers cannot quench’ (ln 7). She paints the picture that her love is similar to the thirst for water. When a person has a thirst for water, s/he tends to look for water to drink. She has a thirst for her husband’s love that she cannot get enough of. The metaphor is an expression of her desire for her husband. In other words, she emphasizes that all she needs is her husband. It is through his that she can express her love.

To sum up, the paper has provided an analysis of the Anne Bradstreet’s poem, ‘To My Dear and Loving Husband.’ Some of the aspect of the poem which was the basis of the analysis includes narrative voice, imagery and metaphor. The poem’s central these is love which is secular as opposed to being religious. The poem however, does not lack instances where religion comes into play (Gale, 8). The Puritan society where she was born in was governed by strict religious ideals. Anne Bradstreet is a poet of puritan heritage. She was a scholar who advocated to writing literary works. She started by writing about topics relating to theology, history, politics and medicine. In other words, she wrote much of her literary works based on the observation of what was happening around her. The central theme of the poem focuses on her love for her husband. The paper leaves room for more information to be provided on other literary devices used in her poem.

Work Cited

Bradstreet, Anne, and Lavinia Greenlaw. To My Dear and Loving Husband. ProQuest LLC, 2004.

Ferszt, Elizabeth. "Transatlantic Dame School: The Early Poems of Anne Bradstreet as Pedagogy." Women's Studies 43.3 (2014): 305-317.

Gale, Cengage Learning. A Study Guide for Anne Bradstreet's" The Author to Her Book". Gale, Cengage Learning, 2016.

Hall, David D., ed. Puritans in the new world: A critical anthology. Princeton University Press, 2004.

LaBlanc, Michael L., ed. Poetry for Students. Vol. 10. Gale/Cengage Learning, 2000.

Stanford, Ann. "Anne Bradstreet: Dogmatist and Rebel." New England Quarterly (1966): 373-389.