Kathleen Burket
The Honesty and Bravery of Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley
Compare and/or contrast the works of Phillis Wheatley and Anne Bradstreet. Both of these
authors lived in a time when women did not have a strong voice. Additionally, slaves rarely
received an education, let alone had the opportunity to speak by composing and publishing
poetry. How do these authors shed light on the perspectives of women and slaves (in the case
of Wheatley) in their literary periods? Include direct quotes from Wheatley’s poetry and
Bradstreet’s poetry for analysis and support.
Thesis: Living life to the fullest while sharing your struggles can be difficult, but Anne Bradstreet
and Phillis Wheatley both led a life that was worth living for.
Introduction: Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley have different backgrounds and both
experienced life in different ways. They both write on experiences they had through life and
how difficult those times may have been. While both women came to the New World, they both
came upon very different experiences.
First topic: Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley both have similar life experiences
I.Both women faced adversity, but in different ways. As a result, they both turned to
poetry as a salvations and freedom.
II.Neither one lived the same life. Anna was a colonist and a mother to eight children.
Because of some of the hardships she faced as a mother, she found very difficult to
adjust to the New World.
III.Wheatley arrived in the New World as a slave. At this time Wheatley turned to poetry as
an outlook for the difficult challenges she was facing. Wheatley became a religious
woman and was thankful for everything in the New World because she was able to find
God.
Second topic: Bradstreet and Wheatley on the beauty life gave them
I. Bradstreet may have lived a life of struggle, but those struggles never stopped her from
writing. Bradstreet did not have an education. Her father taught her everything and her
love for books helped her accomplish her own poetry.
II.Wheatley found her ability to write poetry accomplishing. Living in a world of slavery,
she was not given some of the freedoms Bradstreet was able to have. Thought this did
not stop her from writing. She wrote poetry on slavery and God. She felt as though
slavery was wrong, but did not believe America as a country was.
Third topis: Religion in both Poets writing
I.Bradstreet wrote a poem on love for her husband, she wrote “To My Dear and Loving
Husband”. This poem was powerful and confident. Bradstreet felt as though writing this
poem she could symbolize her love through religion as well.
II.Wheatley wrote on Christianity. As she came to believe in God, she found it very
astounding and was surprised she could see the world as it was. She wrote “On Being
Brought from Africa to America”. Wheatley was thankful for her spiritual life and the
outcome of it.
Closing: Both Bradstreet and Wheatley had a drive and strength to accomplish writing. They
both faced trying times. While neither of them lived the same life and went through the exact
same circumstances, they both looked at life as a spiritual peaceful place. They both tried to
find the good in every circumstance. In their writings they did not always write about the good
things that happened in life. In order for them to be successful poets, they had to share the
hard situations and the honesty of how they became such famous poets. Both women inspire us
with their honesty and bravery.
