I would like to start off by saying that I normally do not read poetry; it is hard for me to wrap my mind around it, making it a difficult for me to enjoy what I am reading. That said, I found Bradstreet's writing to be interesting and even enjoyable. After the discussion in class, I felt that I could understood and appreciate her work more once I understood the context of some of her references, like the one about Calliope.
The thing I find most compelling about Bradstreet's work is the tension and uncertainty of her worth as poet; the constant tug of war that plays with her emotions and sometimes wavering conviction shows real emotions that I think a lot of people can relate to. One minute she lamenting of how no one will give the credit that is due to her simply because she is a woman; she seems to accept this a natural way of the world, but then switches her tone, as if saying, "Is it so much to ask for a little acknowledgment of my skill?" I believe she was a woman far ahead her time, whose work would have been much better appreciated nowadays. I think this is explains the constant struggle she fought within herself to find a balance in her role as wife and as a poet with ideas and thought that would have been seen as unseemly for a woman to think about in her time.
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