Anne Bradstreet and Phyllis Wheatley Pioneers for Womens...

Anne Bradstreet and Phyllis Wheatley: Pioneers for Women’s Rights Anne Bradstreet (1600’s) and Phyllis Wheatley (1700’s) wrote poetry in two different centuries. Their topics, themes and the risks these women took in their writings are groundbreaking in that they paved the way for women’s rights today. Both women are known as the first published poets of the new world. Bradstreet’s writings were first published in 1650 and her poetry included controversial subjects such as the relationship between a husband and wife, displays of affection, and women who have made their place in society as leaders. These topics were not typical of women who were brought up a Puritans. In fact, the puritans did not approve of public displays of affection.†¦show more content†¦The very fact that both women dared to write about taboo subjects in their time says a lot about the character of both of them. Their poetry shows that women are concerned with more than just household affairs. They were women of intelligence. They were very brave in the fact that they opened conversations and thoughts regarding how women felt and how they reacted to worldly subjects. Anne Bradstreet and Phyllis Wheatley both had very strong backgrounds in religion. Bradstreet was raised with Puritan beliefs while Wheatley was raised as a Christian. In each of their poems, religion is very prominent. When Bradstreet writes about how much she admires Queen Elizabeth, she does it wittingly, but she does not overstep her religious teachings that women should remain reserved. Bradstreet uses a reference from the book of Genesis to describe how famous the queen was: â€Å"More infamy than fame she did procure. She built her glory but on Babel’s walls,† Phyllis Wheatley’s letter to the Honorable William of Dartmouth has a very religious tone. The language she uses resembles that of prayer in her poems. In her letter she says: â€Å"May heav’nly grace the sacred sanction give To all they works, and though forever live Not only on the wings of fleeting Fame, Though praise immortal crowns the patriot’s name, But to conduct to heav’ns refulgent fane.† She is letting the Earl of Dartmouth