Similarities Between Wheatley And Anne Bradstreet

Although they lead different lifestyles, Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley both deal differently with death in Before the Birth of One of Her Children and To a Gentleman… the latter in a way that is more optimistic than the former.

Many similarities are present throughout the writings of the two poets when it comes to the way they speak of death and how to cope with it. Both poets acknowledge their christian beliefs in saying that God holds all power when it comes to death and we, humans, are powerless in that domain. When talking about the fragile subject of death, Bradstreet says, “No ties so strong, no friends so dear and sweet,/ But with death’s parting blow is sure to meet./ The sentence past is most irrevocable,/ A common thing, yet

While both poets try to be optimistic about the death of their loved ones, Wheatley, the more religious poet of the two, emphasizes the importance of religion by using her almost artistic sculpting of descriptive adjectives and robust nouns such as “The glowing stars and silver queen of light/ At last must perish in the gloom of night” and in using this word choice, she shows how much weight her religion holds (19-20). As Wheatley praises her God and his doings in her poem, Bradstreet makes sure to underline how much her relationship with her husband and kids mean to her. “Look to my little babes, my dear remains./ And if thou love thyself, or loved’st me,/ These o protect from step Dames injury” closing her poem with the focus of protecting her children from any harm possible shows us, the reader, that Bradstreet is mainly concerned with the wellbeing of her children (20-22). Both poets explain the certainty of death to the recipient of the poem, but the difference is, Wheatley is faced with a death that has already happened, whereas Bradstreet is more pessimistic possibly because of her struggle with her religion. This pessimistic behavior can also be seen in the fact that a pregnant Bradstreet prepares her family for her death in a time where she should be elated to bring life onto the earth. Instead of being joyous, Bradstreet says, “How soon, my Dear, death may my