Tuesday, August 21, 2012

In Anne Bradstreet's poem, "To My Dear and Loving Husband," what are some poetic elements that show she does not love him?

This question is perplexing! Unless you consider the
entire poem to be an expression of verbal irony (hardly Bradstreet's style), its content
and employment of various poetic elements create a strong and unified expression of
Bradstreet's deep and lasting love for her husband. The first couplet establishes the
tone and theme of the poem:


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If ever two were one, then surely
we.


If ever man were loved by wife, then
thee.



In the context of
Bradstreet's strong Christian faith, her allusion to two people being one reflects her
belief in marriage being a spiritual union. Thus she presents herself as a woman who
loves her husband and is joined with him in the most profound way. Throughout the
remainder of the poem, she expresses the depth and passion of her love, celebrates it,
and prays that her husband will be rewarded by heaven for his devotion to her, since
there is no way she can repay him.


The only word in the
poem that invites any conflict in interpretation is found in the final
couplet:



Then
while we live, in love let's so persevere


That when we live
no more, we may live ever.



If
the word "persevere" is interpreted in terms of enduring to complete a difficult task or
journey, then it might be argued that she sees their "love" as only a matter of
Christian obligation to be honored so that they have eternal life after death. Nothing
in the poem, however, supports such an interpretation. It is more consistent within the
context of the poem that "persevere" is chosen simply to mean "to continue strongly."
Her hope, in these final lines, seems to be that she and her husband will love each
other so deeply that they will not be parted, even after death.

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