Blog number four

My favorite Woman writer so far in Rethinking the Maternal would have to be Anne Bradstreet. She seems to have a very positive outlook on life, probably due to the happiness brought to her by her husband and children. In her biography it states that her marriage to Simon Bradstreet was on all accounts happy. Maybe this had to do with her husband being governor of the colony? In one of her poems to her husband she stated; "If ever two were one, then surely we, If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee" It almost sounds as if that line could be included in wedding vows.

My favorite poem of Anne Bradstreet's was "In Reference to her Children". The poem gave a positive outlook on motherhood and how it affects the mother growing up and seeing her children leave the "nest". Anne referenced her children as being birds and saying that she taught each one of them to sing. In psychology we learned about how mothers feel they have an empty nest after all their children leave and Anne gave a wonderful example of that. She talked about how 5 of her birds had flown away, some with a new lover and some with a new job but hopefully they will "come back and sing" pg.671. I loved how charming she was talking about her children and how selfless she seems. "Farewell my birds, farewell adieu, I happy am, if well with you".

For a better understanding of the poem, I found an analysis of the poem "In Reference to her Children"

http://www.enotes.com/reference-her-children-23-june-1659-salem/reference-her-children-23-june-1659