dougsasser's review against another edition
5.0
Anne Bradstreet wrote the first volume of poetry to be published in North America. Her subject matters reflect childbirth, marriage, the Christian faith and the perils of life in the seventieth century. Her rhyming patterns are clear to follow and her poems are easily understandable. Someone who has trouble following modern poets will find this work very digestible. What came through most powerfully from her poetry are the emotions conveyed in them. Anyone who is tempted to stereotype puritans living in New England during this period as stoic and unfeeling find a different tone here. These poems have the power to awaken the inner most feelings of the reader.
shaunnow38's review against another edition
3.0
The poetry itself I would rate a 4 overall, but the book itself, given its strange layout and ommissions, is closer to a two. I will therefore split the difference.
Bradstreet's poetry is in general thoughtful, spiritual poetry that humbles itself before classical works and contemporary titans of poetry. Her work stands on its own as deeply subjective work that delves into the hardships of life in America during the Colonial Period, as well as personal struggles with faith. Bradstreet's fawning over her children and husband in her verse is moving, especially in reference to her children's sicknesses and deaths.
The dover thrift edition, while immensely affordable, leaves a lot to be desired in the way of formatting. The sections are divided by genre, but the divisions often feel arbitrary. Better, I believe would have been chronological or by collection/manuscript, so as to highlight the poems in their context. By collection would have been even more interesting because the poems maintain much of their original spelling, although I assume with light editing for archaic characters.
Bradstreet's poetry is in general thoughtful, spiritual poetry that humbles itself before classical works and contemporary titans of poetry. Her work stands on its own as deeply subjective work that delves into the hardships of life in America during the Colonial Period, as well as personal struggles with faith. Bradstreet's fawning over her children and husband in her verse is moving, especially in reference to her children's sicknesses and deaths.
The dover thrift edition, while immensely affordable, leaves a lot to be desired in the way of formatting. The sections are divided by genre, but the divisions often feel arbitrary. Better, I believe would have been chronological or by collection/manuscript, so as to highlight the poems in their context. By collection would have been even more interesting because the poems maintain much of their original spelling, although I assume with light editing for archaic characters.
leslie_ann_thornton's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
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