RUNNING HEADER: WHEATLY AND BRADSTREET 1
Phillis Wheatly and Anne Bradstreet- APA
Kaitlin Holden
Liberty University
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Phillis Wheatly and Anne Bradstreet
While their lives were very separate in many ways, Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley
were two poets that shared an encounter of writing through a time when women didn’t have an
equal right, they weren’t able to vote, and it was unprofessional for them to work. These two
shared an encounter of writing through some of life’s most unfortunate circumstances. They both
faced new beginnings in the new world. Wheatley was brought as a slave and Bradstreet’s
experienced life as a colonist and they both faced hardships. Their writing was a form of lifeline
for these women as they disclosed their thoughts and feelings for the world to get a glimpse of.
New Beginnings in the New World
Wheatly was an African slave and one of the greatest poets in the pre-19th century in
America. At age seven, she was seized from her home in Senegal/Gambia, West Africa. She was
transported to Boston, Massachusetts where she was sold to the Wheatly family. After being
plunged into this New World with no family she was forced to make accommodations for
herself. Throughout her poetry she spoke out about the aversion of slavery and called everyone
to be optimistic. The experiences she went through were horrible but the hope she had was
powerful.
Bradstreet was a colonist that was also plunged into a New World and also faced
hardships. She and her family arrived in Massachusetts in July 1630 when life was nothing.
Families struggled with the insufficiency of food and the rough living conditions. Even though
she encountered rough situations throughout her life she didn’t stop appreciating the beauty in
life. Through her poetry she tried to provide a clear message about the obstacles she had to
overcome as a woman that American women don’t have to face today.
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Writing Style
When it comes to Wheatley and Bradstreet their poems remind me much of each other.
These women had difficulties in their time especially when it came to writing and publishing
their poems. They both wrote about topics that were mostly religious matters. Even though they
both used their poetry to express their opinions, Bradstreet writes about being a wife and a
mother and about the roles of the women in her society. On the other hand, Wheatley writes
about slavery. Wheatley was very careful when she wrote her poems, and always picked topics
that were approved by society.
Bradstreet wrote with a very clear message about her lifestyle, religious beliefs, and
family life. Her main focus was women’s rights and how they dealt with hardships as a woman in
a male influenced society. A biography on Phyllis Wheatley stated that “Wheatley became the
first African American and first U.S. slave to publish a book of poems, as well as the third
American woman to do so. ("Phillis Wheatley", 2020)” Wheatley was a strong supporter for
America’s fight for independence and wrote several poems in tribute to George Washington.
EducationBradstreet and Wheatley were both taught to read and write and shared an interest
in poetry. Even though Bradstreet didn’t attend school she received an education from her father.
An article of Anne Bradstreet stated that “From her extensive reading in the well-stocked library
of the estate of the Earl of Lincoln, where she lived while her father was steward from 1619 to
1630. ("Anne Bradstreet | Poetry Foundation", 2020)” Wheatley was taught to read and write by
her slave holders’ daughter. As her knowledge increased, she started to study Latin, history, and
geography in her free time. Both of these women were very bright before they were twelve years
old.
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Beliefs One of the greatest similarities that these two shared are their very strong
backgrounds in religion, even though Bradstreet was raised with Puritan beliefs and Wheatley
was raised as a Christian. You can tell throughout their poetry that religion is very prominent.
One of the ways that Wheatley was educated was by reading the Bible which she learned to read
sixteen months after her arrival. But in Bradstreet’s writing, you could tell she struggled with her
belief in God.
Conclusion These ladies had many similarities and differences. They both were the first
women to publish poetry in the New World. Even though they wrote in two separate centuries,
they both had to rise above gender and race judgements. Bradstreet first published her poetry in
1650 and some of her subjects were about spouses like her poem “A Letter to Her Husband.”
One century later in 1773, Wheatley published her poetry about slavery and wishing to be free.
You can tell this in her poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America” , where she criticizes
white readers about not treating everyone equal.
They both composed their poetry with meaning because of their hindrances and trials
they met. These drew them to lead the culture to build am improved society that requires
independence, civil rights, and the choices for women and African Americans. Bradstreet and
Wheatley were kept down because they were women and Wheatley especially because she was a
black slave. Even though they come from very different backgrounds and living in different time
periods, they had similar interest in what they wrote about.
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References
Anne Bradstreet | Poetry Foundation. (2020). Retrieved 16 February 2020, from
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/anne-bradstreet
Phillis Wheatley. (2020). Retrieved 16 February 2020, from
https://www.biography.com/writer/phillis-wheatley
