A Letter to her Husband, Absent upon Public Engagement by Anne Bradstreet

Context

• A Letter to her Husband, Absent upon Public Engagement by Anne Bradstreet was written in the mid-17th century, reflecting the deeply personal and emotional style of Puritan poetry.

• Anne Bradstreet, often considered the first published American poet, wrote this poem during a time when her husband, Simon Bradstreet, was away on public duty, likely involved in colonial governance.

  

• The poem reflects the Puritan emphasis on the sanctity of marriage and the emotional bond between husband and wife, set against the backdrop of the harsh realities of colonial life in New England.

Structure and Form

Form, Meter, and Rhyme

• The poem is composed of a single stanza with 28 lines, written in rhyming couplets.
• It follows a consistent AABB rhyme scheme, typical of many Puritan poems, which contributes to its steady and contemplative rhythm.
• The meter is iambic pentameter, providing a regular, measured beat that enhances the poem's reflective tone.

Speaker and Setting

• The speaker is a wife addressing her absent husband, expressing her deep longing and sorrow due to his absence.
• The setting is primarily emotional and introspective, centred around the speaker's feelings of isolation and yearning for her husband's return.
• The speaker draws on natural imagery, such as the changing seasons, to reflect her inner state and the cyclical nature of life.

Poetic Devices

Metaphor

• The speaker uses metaphors to express the unity between herself and her husband, such as comparing their relationship to the sun and its influence on the earth.
• "I, like the earth this season, mourn in black, / My sun is gone so far in's zodiac."

Personification

• The poem personifies natural elements, like the earth and the sun, to mirror the speaker's emotional landscape, enhancing the connection between nature and human experience.
• The earth "mourns" in the absence of the sun, just as the speaker mourns in the absence of her husband.

Allusion

• The poem alludes to astrological concepts, such as the zodiac, to describe the distance between the speaker and her husband.
• This allusion underscores the idea of their separation as part of a larger cosmic order.

Imagery

• Vivid imagery is employed throughout the poem to convey the speaker's sense of loss and longing.
• The imagery of the speaker's body as cold and lifeless without her husband's warmth reinforces the depth of her emotional dependence on him.

Alliteration

• The use of alliteration, as in "cold and lifeless", enhances the musicality of the poem and emphasizes key emotional states.

Key Themes

Love and Longing

• The poem explores the theme of love and longing, particularly the deep emotional connection between husband and wife and the pain of separation.
• "My head, my heart, mine eyes, my life, nay, more, / My joy, my magazine of earthly store."
• This theme reflects the Puritan belief in the importance of marital unity and the sanctity of the domestic sphere.

Unity and Dependence

• The speaker emphasizes the theme of unity and dependence, portraying herself as incomplete and lifeless without her husband.
• The comparison of their relationship to the sun and earth suggests that they are two parts of a whole, each dependent on the other for life and vitality.

Nature and the Cycles of Life

• The poem also reflects on the theme of nature and the cycles of life, using the changing seasons as a metaphor for the speaker's emotional state.
  • The speaker's reference to mourning in "black" like the earth in winter highlights the idea that her sorrow is part of a natural, inevitable cycle.

Similar Poems

• "Song: To Lucasta, Going to the Wars" by Richard Lovelace: This poem similarly explores themes of love and duty, as the speaker explains his departure to his beloved, balancing the tension between personal affection and public responsibility.
• "A Valediction of Weeping" by John Donne: Like Bradstreet's poem, this one expresses deep emotions in the face of separation, using rich metaphysical imagery to explore themes of love and loss.
• "The Sun Rising" by John Donne: This poem, although more lighthearted, also employs the metaphor of the sun concerning love, reflecting on the centrality of the beloved in the speaker's life.

Line by Line Analysis

Lines 1-5

My head, my heart, mine Eyes, my life, nay more, My joy, my Magazine of earthly store, If two be one, as surely thou and I, How stayest thou there, whilst I at Ipswich lye? So many steps, head from the heart to sever

"My head, my heart, mine Eyes, my life, nay more,"

• The speaker lists various parts of herself—her head, heart, eyes, and life—indicating the deep and all-encompassing connection she feels with her husband.
• The repetition of "my" underscores the personal and intimate nature of this bond.

"My joy, my Magazine of earthly store,"

• She describes her husband as the source of all her earthly happiness and abundance ("Magazine of earthly store").
• This metaphor conveys that her husband is the repository of all her joys and treasures in life.

"If two be one, as surely thou and I,"

• The speaker reflects on the idea that she and her husband are united as one, echoing the biblical concept of marriage where two individuals become one flesh.
• This line emphasizes their inseparable bond, suggesting that their separation is unnatural.

"How stayest thou there, whilst I at Ipswich lye?"

• She questions how her husband can remain away while she is in Ipswich, expressing her longing and confusion about their physical separation.
• The use of "lye" hints at her discomfort or distress, as she metaphorically lies in wait for his return.

"So many steps, head from the heart to sever"

• The speaker laments the physical distance between them, comparing it to the separation of the head from the heart.
• This metaphor highlights the pain of their separation, as it feels as unnatural as severing vital parts of the body.

Lines 6-10

If but a neck, soon should we be together: I like the earth this season, mourn in black, My Sun is gone so far in's Zodiack, Whom whilst I 'joy'd, nor storms, nor frosts I felt, His warmth such frigid colds did cause to melt.

"If but a neck, soon should we be together:"

• The speaker imagines that if the physical distance were as small as the neck separating the head from the heart, they would be quickly reunited.
• This line further emphasizes the unnaturalness of their separation, suggesting it could easily be resolved if only the distance were smaller.

"I like the earth this season, mourn in black,"

• The speaker compares herself to the earth in winter, mourning and clad in black, symbolising grief and desolation.
• This metaphor reflects her deep sorrow during her husband's absence, likening her emotional state to the barren, lifeless earth.

"My Sun is gone so far in's Zodiack,"

• She describes her husband as her "Sun", who has moved far away in his zodiac path, signifying his physical and emotional distance from her.
• The use of "Zodiack" introduces an astrological element, suggesting that their separation is part of a larger, perhaps uncontrollable, cosmic order.

"Whom whilst I 'joy'd, nor storms, nor frosts I felt,"

• The speaker reminisces about the time when her husband was present, during which she felt no hardships or discomforts ("nor storms, nor frosts").
• His presence provided warmth and protection, shielding her from the metaphorical storms and frosts of life.

"His warmth such frigid colds did cause to melt."

• She continues the metaphor, stating that her husband's warmth was so powerful that it melted all coldness, both literally and figuratively.
• This line emphasizes the life-giving and comforting effect of his presence on her well-being.

Lines 11-15

My chilled limbs now nummed lye forlorn; Return, return sweet Sol from Capricorn; In this dead time, alas, what can I more Then view those fruits which through thy heat I bore? Which sweet contentment yield me for a space,

"My chilled limbs now nummed lye forlorn;"

• The speaker describes her physical state as "chilled" and "nummed", lying forlorn without her husband's warmth and presence.
• This line captures her sense of abandonment and physical discomfort in his absence.

"Return, return sweet Sol from Capricorn;"

• She implores her husband, whom she metaphorically refers to as "Sol" (the Sun), to return from Capricorn, the zodiac sign associated with winter.
• This plea reflects her deep desire for his return, equating it with the return of warmth and life to the earth.

"In this dead time, alas, what can I more"

• The speaker refers to the period of her husband's absence as a "dead time", expressing the emptiness and inactivity she feels without him.
• She questions what more she can do during this bleak period, implying a sense of helplessness.

"Then view those fruits which through thy heat I bore?"

• She reflects on the "fruits" she bore through his "heat," likely referring to their children or the results of their union.
• This line suggests that in his absence, she finds some comfort in their shared legacy, though it is not a substitute for his presence.

"Which sweet contentment yield me for a space,"

• These "fruits" provide her with "sweet contentment" for a short time, offering some solace amidst her longing.
• The phrase "for a space" indicates that this contentment is temporary and insufficient to fully alleviate her sorrow.

Lines 16-20

True living Pictures of their Fathers face. O strange effect! now thou art Southward gone, I weary grow, the tedious day so long; But when thou Northward to me shalt return, I wish my Sun may never set, but burn

"True living Pictures of their Fathers face."

• The speaker describes their children as "true living Pictures" of their father's face, indicating that they physically resemble him.
• This line reinforces the idea that her children are a comforting, yet bittersweet, reminder of her absent husband.

"O strange effect! now thou art Southward gone,"

• She expresses surprise at the powerful effect of his absence, noting that since he has gone "Southward", her life has changed dramatically.
• The direction "Southward" continues the astrological metaphor, possibly indicating a shift towards darkness or distance.

"I weary grow, the tedious day so long;"

• The speaker confesses that she has grown weary, with each day feeling "tedious" and unbearably long without her husband's presence.
• This line emphasizes the emotional and physical toll of his absence on her daily life.

"But when thou Northward to me shalt return,"

• She looks forward to the time when he will "return" to her, moving "Northward" back into her life.
• The shift from South to North symbolises a return to warmth, light, and life.

"I wish my Sun may never set, but burn"

• The speaker expresses a fervent wish that her "Sun" (her husband) may never set again, but continue to burn brightly in her life.
• This metaphor encapsulates her desire for his constant presence, equating it with an eternal, life-giving force.

Lines 21-26

Within the Cancer of my glowing breast, The welcome house of him my dearest guest. Where ever, ever stay, and go not thence, Till natures sad decree shall call thee hence; Flesh of thy flesh, bone of thy bone, I here, thou there, yet both but one.

"Within the Cancer of my glowing breast,"

• The speaker wishes her husband to remain "within the Cancer" of her "glowing breast," using the astrological sign of Cancer, which is associated with home and emotional security, to symbolise the warmth and love she offers.
• This line suggests that her heart is a safe and welcoming place for him to stay.

"The welcome house of him my dearest guest."

• She describes her heart as the "welcome house" for her husband, whom she refers to as her "dearest guest."
• This metaphor emphasizes the deep affection and hospitality she feels towards him, wanting him to stay forever.

"Where ever, ever stay, and go not thence,"

• The speaker implores her husband to stay with her "ever, ever", expressing her desire for him never to leave again.
• The repetition of "ever" underscores the intensity of her longing for his permanent presence.

"Till natures sad decree shall call thee hence;"

• She acknowledges that only "nature's sad decree"—death—should be the reason for his departure, accepting that their separation should occur only when it is inevitable.
• This line reflects her recognition of mortality, yet she hopes for as much time together as possible.

"Flesh of thy flesh, bone of thy bone,"

• The speaker recalls the biblical phrase, highlighting the deep physical and spiritual connection they share as husband and wife.
• This line reinforces the idea of their unity and inseparability, even in physical absence.

"I here, thou there, yet both but one."

• Despite being physically apart ("I here, thou there"), the speaker emphasizes that they are still united as one.
• This closing line reaffirms the central theme of the poem: their enduring connection, regardless of distance.