She was raised in an English castle and married her husband at the age of 16. Later, her puritan family faced persecution from the Anglican Church, and they sailed for America where she spent many days raising eight children on the crude frontier of the Massachusetts Bay Colony while her husband was often away on political business. A sickly woman left alone much of the time, she struggled for survival. She also struggled with her faith.
Through those tough years, reading and writing poetry helped her cope by centering her thoughts on God. She wrote about family life, nature, and of earthly and divine love.
Having found her writings, her brother-in-law secretly copied her poems and submitted them for publication in England in 1650. An American publication included some of her works a few years later.
She would become the first American to publish an entire book of poetry and her words were impactful in encouraging the hearts of others on the frontiers of America.
She was Anne Dudley Bradstreet
Questions to Ponder: How might sharing your struggles in writing encourage others? What experience, strength, and hope do you have that someone else may also benefit from? In what ways are your writing’s God-focused and helpful to others?
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