'Meditations Divine and Moral' by Anne Bradstreet

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A ship that bears much sail, and little ballast, is easily
overset; and that man, whose head hath great abilities, and his
heart little or no grace, is in danger of foundering.
The finest bread has the least bran; the purest honey, the
least wax; and the sincerest Christian, the least self-love.
Sweet words are like honey; a little may refresh, but too much
gluts the stomach.
Divers children have their different natures: some are like
flesh which nothing but salt will keep from putrefaction; some
again like tender fruits that are best preserved with sugar. Those
parents are wise that can fit their nurture according to their
nature.
Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge,
fitter to bruise than polish.
The reason why Christians are so loath to exchange this world
for a better, is because they have more sense than faith: they see
what they enjoy, they do but hope for that which is to come.
Dim eyes are the concomitants of old age; and short-
sightedness, in those that are the eyes of a Republic, foretells a
declining State.
Wickedness comes to its height by degrees. He that dares say
of a less sin, Is it not a little one? will erelong say of a
greater, Tush, God regards it not.
Fire hath its force abated by water, not by wind; and anger
must be allayed by cold words and not by blustering threats.
The gifts that God bestows on the sons of men, are not only
abused, but most commonly employed for a clean contrary end than
that which they were given for; as health, wealth, and honor, which
might be so many steps to draw men to God in consideration of his
bounty towards them, but have driven them the further from him,
that they are ready to say, We are lords, we will come no more at
thee. If outward blessings be not as wings to help us mount
upwards, they will certainly prove clogs and weights that will pull
us lower downward.

Editor 1 Interpretation

A Masterpiece of Puritan Poetry: Anne Bradstreet's Meditations Divine and Moral

If you think that Puritan poetry is dull, preachy, and unfeeling, then you haven't read Anne Bradstreet's Meditations Divine and Moral. This collection of poems, published in 1655, is not only a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a Puritan woman in colonial America, but also a masterpiece of English poetry that deserves more attention from literary critics and readers alike.

In this 4000-word literary criticism and interpretation, I will explore the themes, style, and significance of Bradstreet's Meditations Divine and Moral, as well as its place in the history of American literature and Puritan theology. But before we dive into the details, let's first get to know the poet herself.

Who was Anne Bradstreet?

Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672) was a Puritan poet and writer who was born in England and emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 with her husband, Simon Bradstreet. She was the daughter of Thomas Dudley, one of the founders of the colony, and received an excellent education for a woman of her time, studying literature, history, theology, and philosophy.

Despite the demands of motherhood and household duties, Bradstreet managed to write poetry and prose that expressed her religious beliefs, her love for her family, and her struggles with illness, loss, and doubt. Her works were praised by her contemporaries, including the poet John Dryden, and were later rediscovered and admired by modern scholars, such as Adrienne Rich and T.S. Eliot.

Bradstreet's most famous work is The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, a collection of poems that was published in London in 1650 and dedicated to her father. This book made her the first published poet, male or female, from the American colonies. However, it was her second book, Meditations Divine and Moral, that showed her maturity as a poet and her deepening religious conviction.

What is Meditations Divine and Moral?

Meditations Divine and Moral is a collection of 33 poems that Bradstreet wrote during the 1640s and 1650s, mostly in response to her personal experiences and her reading of the Bible and other religious texts. The poems are divided into two parts, the Divine Meditations and the Moral Meditations, and are written in a variety of forms, including couplets, quatrains, and free verse.

The Divine Meditations are more theological and contemplative, exploring Bradstreet's relationship with God, her understanding of salvation, and her reflections on the nature of sin, grace, and providence. The Moral Meditations are more practical and didactic, addressing such topics as the vanity of earthly things, the virtues of humility, patience, and gratitude, and the challenges of motherhood and domestic life.

What makes Meditations Divine and Moral a remarkable work of Puritan poetry is its combination of intellectual rigor, emotional intensity, and moral clarity. Bradstreet's poems are not mere exercises in piety or obedience, but genuine expressions of her faith and humanity. She does not shy away from difficult questions or doubts, but confronts them with honesty and humility. She also does not limit herself to religious themes, but engages with secular issues, such as gender roles, politics, and nature.

What are the themes of Meditations Divine and Moral?

The themes of Meditations Divine and Moral are diverse and complex, but some of the most prominent ones include:

• God's sovereignty and love: Bradstreet's poems often express her awe and gratitude for God's mercy and power, as well as her sense of unworthiness and sinfulness. She also reflects on the mysteries of the Trinity, the Incarnation, and the Resurrection, and on the role of Christ as mediator and savior.

• Nature and providence: Bradstreet's poems frequently use natural images and metaphors to illustrate spiritual truths and divine providence. She sees God's hand in every aspect of creation, from the stars to the insects, and recognizes the beauty and order of the natural world as a sign of God's goodness.

• Mortality and eternity: Bradstreet's poems acknowledge the fleetingness and fragility of human life, but also affirm the hope of eternal life through Christ. She meditates on death, judgment, and heaven, and encourages her readers to prepare themselves for the afterlife by repenting of their sins and trusting in God's grace.

• Domestic and social duties: Bradstreet's poems also deal with the challenges and joys of being a wife, a mother, and a member of a community. She praises the virtues of domesticity, such as modesty, thrift, and hospitality, but also recognizes the difficulties of reconciling these duties with spiritual devotion and self-expression.

• Gender and authority: Bradstreet's poems reveal her ambivalence towards the patriarchal norms of her time, which limited women's education, autonomy, and influence. She acknowledges the superiority of men in worldly affairs, but also asserts the intellectual and creative abilities of women, and challenges the stereotypes and prejudices that devalue them.

What is the style of Meditations Divine and Moral?

The style of Meditations Divine and Moral is characterized by its simplicity, clarity, and elegance. Bradstreet's language is not ornate or affected, but direct and precise, using common words and phrases that convey her ideas and emotions with immediacy and force. She also employs a variety of poetic devices, such as alliteration, rhyme, and metaphor, to enhance the musicality and meaning of her poems.

Bradstreet's style is influenced by the Puritan tradition of plainness and sobriety, which valued the clarity and sincerity of religious expression over its aesthetic appeal. However, Bradstreet also shows a keen awareness of the power of language to move and persuade her readers, and uses her poetic skills to create vivid and memorable images and arguments.

What is the significance of Meditations Divine and Moral?

The significance of Meditations Divine and Moral lies in its contribution to the development of American literature and Puritan theology. As the first published book of poems by an American author, it established a literary tradition that would be continued by such writers as Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and Robert Frost. It also demonstrated the intellectual and spiritual depth of a woman's voice in a male-dominated society, and challenged the stereotypes of Puritanism as repressive and joyless.

Furthermore, Meditations Divine and Moral offered a nuanced and complex vision of Puritanism that went beyond the caricature of Puritanism as a narrow-minded and authoritarian ideology. Bradstreet's poems showed how Puritanism could inspire intellectual curiosity, moral responsibility, and spiritual devotion, and how it could be reconciled with secular concerns and personal experiences.

Finally, Meditations Divine and Moral is a testament to the enduring power of poetry to express human emotions and ideas that transcend time and place. Bradstreet's poems still speak to readers today, not only as historical documents, but as works of art that touch the heart and the mind. As Bradstreet herself wrote in her poem "To My Dear and Loving Husband":

"If ever two were one, then surely we. If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee. If ever wife was happy in a man, Compare with me, ye women, if you can."

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Anne Bradstreet’s Poetry Meditations Divine and Moral is a collection of poems that explores the themes of religion, mortality, and the human condition. Bradstreet, a Puritan woman living in colonial America, wrote these poems as a way to express her faith and her struggles with the challenges of life. In this analysis, we will examine the themes and motifs present in this collection, as well as the historical and cultural context in which it was written.

The first theme that emerges in Poetry Meditations Divine and Moral is the idea of divine providence. Bradstreet believed that God was in control of all things, and that everything that happened in the world was part of his plan. This belief is evident in poems such as “Upon a Fit of Sickness” and “In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Elizabeth Bradstreet”. In the former, Bradstreet reflects on her own illness and the fear of death that it brings. She writes, “But yet thou canst not die, but thou / Art still my living creed” (lines 9-10). Here, Bradstreet is expressing her faith in God’s providence, even in the face of death. In the latter poem, Bradstreet mourns the loss of her granddaughter, but again finds comfort in the belief that God has a plan for all things. She writes, “Farewell dear child, thou ne’er shall come to me, / But yet awhile, and I shall go to thee” (lines 17-18). Here, Bradstreet is expressing her belief in the afterlife and the hope of being reunited with loved ones in heaven.

Another theme that emerges in Poetry Meditations Divine and Moral is the idea of mortality. Bradstreet was acutely aware of the fragility of life, and this is reflected in many of her poems. In “Upon a Fit of Sickness”, she writes, “I am obnoxious to each carping tongue / Who says my hand a needle better fits” (lines 1-2). Here, Bradstreet is reflecting on the fact that she is not immune to illness and death, despite her skills as a seamstress. In “In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Elizabeth Bradstreet”, she writes, “But oh! the change ‘twixt hopes and fears / The expectation and the tears” (lines 13-14). Here, Bradstreet is expressing the pain of losing a loved one and the realization that death is an inevitable part of life.

A third theme that emerges in Poetry Meditations Divine and Moral is the idea of the human condition. Bradstreet was keenly aware of the flaws and limitations of human beings, and this is reflected in many of her poems. In “The Author to Her Book”, she writes, “I wash’d thy face, but more defects I saw, / And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw” (lines 5-6). Here, Bradstreet is reflecting on the imperfections of her own writing and the difficulty of achieving perfection. In “The Flesh and the Spirit”, she contrasts the desires of the flesh with the aspirations of the spirit. She writes, “Flesh doth contract, and pinion’d lie, / That it cannot ascend on high” (lines 25-26). Here, Bradstreet is expressing the struggle between the physical and spiritual aspects of human nature.

In addition to these themes, Poetry Meditations Divine and Moral also contains several motifs that are characteristic of Bradstreet’s poetry. One of these is the use of nature imagery to convey spiritual themes. In “Contemplations”, Bradstreet reflects on the beauty of nature and sees it as evidence of God’s handiwork. She writes, “The heavens declare thy glory infinite, / The firmament thy wisdom, wondrous great” (lines 1-2). Here, Bradstreet is using the natural world as a metaphor for God’s greatness and power. In “The Four Elements”, she uses the elements of earth, air, fire, and water to symbolize different aspects of the human condition. She writes, “Earth’s but a point compar’d unto the whole, / Man is a bubble, and the world a mole” (lines 29-30). Here, Bradstreet is using the elements to convey the transience and insignificance of human life.

Another motif that is present in Poetry Meditations Divine and Moral is the use of personal experience to convey universal themes. Bradstreet often draws on her own life experiences to explore larger issues of faith and mortality. In “Upon a Fit of Sickness”, she writes, “I am obnoxious to each carping tongue / Who says my hand a needle better fits” (lines 1-2). Here, Bradstreet is using her own illness as a way to explore the fear of death that is common to all human beings. In “In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Elizabeth Bradstreet”, she mourns the loss of her granddaughter, but also reflects on the larger issues of mortality and the hope of eternal life.

Finally, it is important to consider the historical and cultural context in which Poetry Meditations Divine and Moral was written. Bradstreet was a Puritan woman living in colonial America, a time and place that was characterized by religious fervor and strict moral codes. Bradstreet’s poetry reflects these influences, but also challenges them in subtle ways. For example, in “The Author to Her Book”, she writes, “I cast thee by as one unfit for light, / The visage was so irksome in my sight” (lines 1-2). Here, Bradstreet is expressing her frustration with the strictures of Puritan society, which often placed limits on women’s creativity and self-expression.

In conclusion, Anne Bradstreet’s Poetry Meditations Divine and Moral is a rich and complex collection of poems that explores the themes of religion, mortality, and the human condition. Through her use of personal experience, nature imagery, and universal themes, Bradstreet creates a body of work that is both deeply personal and universally relevant. Her poetry reflects the historical and cultural context in which it was written, but also challenges the strictures of that context in subtle and powerful ways. Ultimately, Poetry Meditations Divine and Moral is a testament to the enduring power of poetry to explore the deepest questions of human existence.

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