To My Dear and Loving Husband by Anne Bradstreet - Poem Analysis

Summary

This video script explores Anne Bradstreet's poem 'To My Dear and Loving Husband,' a heartfelt declaration of love and devotion within marriage. The analysis delves into the poem's use of anaphora, apostrophe, and elevated language to emphasize the depth of the poet's love. It also discusses the poem's themes of love, marriage, and the afterlife, highlighting Bradstreet's challenge to societal norms and her unique perspective as a 17th-century woman poet. The video concludes by reflecting on the poem's enduring relevance to modern views on love and marriage.

Takeaways

• 🎎 'To My Dear and Loving Husband' by Anne Bradstreet is a declaration of love and devotion to her spouse, written many years into their marriage.
• 💌 The poem uses anaphora in its opening lines to emphasize the depth of the speaker's love and the unity of the couple.
• 📜 It is autobiographical and written in the first person, providing an intimate and personal perspective on the poet's marriage.
• 💍 Bradstreet challenges other women to compare their marriages to hers, suggesting her love is unparalleled.
• 🔥 The poem employs elevated language and hyperbole to stress the depth and limitlessness of her love for her husband.
• 🌊 'Rivers cannot quench' is used to symbolize the insatiable and enduring nature of her love, drawing from the biblical 'Song of Solomon'.
• 🏺 Bradstreet contrasts material wealth with the purity of her love, emphasizing that her marriage is not based on financial gain but on genuine affection.
• 🙏 The poem links earthly love with divine love, suggesting that the love between the couple will continue in the afterlife.
• ⏳ The theme of 'carpe diem' (seize the day) is introduced, urging the couple to make the most of their time together, acknowledging life's brevity.
• 📚 The poem is significant for offering a woman's perspective on love and marriage during a time when female voices in literature were rare.
• 🌐 Bradstreet's work has enduring relevance, reminding us of the importance of expressing love and commitment in relationships.

Q & A

What is the title and author of the poem discussed in the video?

The poem discussed in the video is 'To My Dear and Loving Husband' by Anne Bradstreet.

What is the significance of the poem being written by a wife to her husband many years into her marriage?

The significance lies in its deviation from the norm, as it is an unashamed declaration of love and devotion in a long-standing marriage, which was unusual for the time, especially in poetry.

What rhetorical device is used in the first three lines of the poem, and what is its purpose?

Anaphora is used in the first three lines, which serves to stress the important points the speaker is making about her marriage and love for her husband.

How does the poem's use of the first person voice contribute to its autobiographical nature?

The use of the first person voice makes the poem intimate and personal, directly addressing her husband and sharing her innermost thoughts and feelings, which is characteristic of autobiographical writing.

What does Anne Bradstreet challenge other women to do in the poem?

Anne Bradstreet challenges other women to compare their marriages to hers, asserting that her love and happiness in her marriage are superior.

How does the poem use hyperbole to emphasize the depth of the speaker's love for her husband?

The poem uses hyperbole through phrases like 'more than whole minds of gold' and 'rivers cannot quench,' which exaggerate the depth and intensity of her love to stress its limitless and insatiable nature.

What biblical allusion is made in the poem, and how does it connect to the speaker's love for her husband?

The poem alludes to the biblical love poem, Song of Solomon, specifically the line 'many waters cannot quench love.' This connection suggests that the speaker's love is undying and will continue even after her time on earth has passed.

How does Anne Bradstreet's poem differ from the common notion of marriage during the 17th century?

Bradstreet's poem rebels against the notion of marriage as a financial transaction, emphasizing the non-financial rewards and the purity of love in her relationship, which was a departure from the materialistic view of marriage at the time.

What theme does the final four lines of the poem introduce, and how does it relate to the speaker's views on marriage and the afterlife?

The final four lines introduce the theme of salvation and the afterlife, where the speaker argues that marriage will help her and her husband achieve salvation, and that their earthly love is closely linked to divine love.

How does the poem's structure, using rhyming couplets and iambic pentameter, support its themes and the speaker's message?

The use of rhyming couplets and iambic pentameter creates a rhythm that is both conversational and formal, fitting the intimate yet important declaration of love. The structure also reflects the unity of the couple and the importance of their bond.

What can be inferred about Anne Bradstreet's personal life from the poem, and how does it contrast with the societal norms of her time?

The poem can be inferred to be autobiographical, reflecting Bradstreet's own happy marriage, which contrasts with the societal norms of the time where marriages were often transactional and devoid of love.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Introduction to 'To My Dear and Loving Husband'

The video introduces Anne Bradstreet's poem 'To My Dear and Loving Husband' and encourages viewers to subscribe for more content. The poem is presented as a declaration of love by a wife to her husband, written many years into their marriage. It uses anaphora to emphasize the speaker's deep devotion and employs a formal, elegant style. The poem's structure, with its balance and end-stopped lines, reflects the thoughtfulness and sincerity of the poet's feelings.

05:00

💖 Unwavering Love and Marriage's Timeless Theme

This paragraph delves into the poem's exploration of love and marriage as universal themes. Bradstreet challenges other women to compare their marriages to hers, suggesting her love is superior. The use of hyperbole and elevated language serves to underscore the depth of her love, which she values more than material wealth. The poem also subtly contrasts earthly pleasures with the purity of her love for her husband, hinting at the enduring nature of their affection despite societal norms of the time.

10:04

🏵️ Marriage Beyond Material Wealth

The speaker in the poem rejects the notion of marriage as a financial transaction, emphasizing the non-material rewards of love. Bradstreet's use of financial terms serves to highlight the purity of her relationship, which is not based on wealth but on genuine love. The poem suggests that while marriages of the time were often devoid of love, the speaker's relationship with her husband is an exception, built on mutual affection and spiritual connection.

15:07

🕊️ Love, Marriage, and the Pursuit of Salvation

The poem's latter part introduces themes of salvation and the afterlife, with the speaker expressing a desire for her love to persist beyond death. Bradstreet contrasts the transient nature of earthly life with the eternal potential of her love, suggesting that their bond could contribute to their salvation. The poem's final lines reflect on the brevity of life and the importance of cherishing each moment, echoing the 'carpe diem' theme found in other contemporary works.

20:07

🎼 Poetic Techniques and the Voice of a Woman

The paragraph discusses the poem's use of iambic pentameter and rhyming couplets, which lend a conversational tone and emphasize the speaker's confidence in her marriage. The use of anaphora, assonance, and end-stopped lines contribute to the poem's rhythm and clarity. The video also notes the significance of presenting a woman's perspective on love and marriage, which was uncommon during the 17th century, and the challenges faced by women writers of the time.

25:09

🌏 Legacy and Relevance of Bradstreet's Poem

The final paragraph reflects on the enduring significance of Bradstreet's work, highlighting her status as an important North American poet and the first to be recognized in the New World. The poem's themes of love and marriage are considered relevant across time, with the speaker's observations on the importance of expressing love to one's partner resonating with contemporary audiences. The video concludes by encouraging viewers to engage with the channel's content and to appreciate the unique insights provided by Bradstreet's perspective.

Keywords

💡Anaphora

Anaphora is a rhetorical device where a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences, or lines. In the video's context, 'If ever' is used as an anaphora to emphasize the speaker's points about her marriage and love for her husband, creating a sense of elegance and formality. It is used in the first three lines of the poem to stress the importance and sincerity of the speaker's declarations.

💡End Stop

End stop refers to a pause at the end of a line of verse, often marked by punctuation. In the script, end stop lines are used to make the speaker's points direct and declarative, contributing to the poem's balance and elegance. It helps to demonstrate the poet's thoughtfulness in expressing her devotion to her husband.

💡Autobiographical

An autobiographical work is one that is based on the author's own life experiences. The script explains that the poem is autobiographical, written in the first person by Anne Bradstreet, reflecting her personal experiences and feelings towards her husband. This personal perspective adds authenticity and intimacy to the poem.

💡Apostrophe

Apostrophe is a figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses an absent person or an abstract concept. In the video, the use of apostrophe gives the poem a passionate and intimate feel, as if the reader is privy to the speaker's private thoughts and feelings about her husband, particularly when she says, 'compare with me ye women if you can'.

💡Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a form of exaggeration used for emphasis or effect. The script mentions the use of hyperbole in the lines 'I prize thy love more than whole minds of gold' and 'rivers cannot quench,' which serve to underscore the depth and intensity of the speaker's love for her husband.

💡Riches of the East

The 'riches of the East' is a trope often used in 17th-century writing to symbolize exotic wealth and sensuality. In the poem, Bradstreet uses this concept to contrast material wealth with the spiritual and emotional wealth she finds in her love for her husband, highlighting the purity and piety of her love.

💡Marriage as Partnership

The concept of marriage as a partnership built on love was not yet fully established in the 17th century. The script explains how Bradstreet's poem challenges the notion of marriage as a financial transaction, emphasizing the non-material rewards of love and companionship within a marriage.

💡Carpe Diem

Carpe diem is a Latin phrase meaning 'seize the day,' urging one to enjoy the present. In the script, the final lines of the poem introduce the theme of carpe diem, encouraging the couple to make the most of their time together, reflecting on life's brevity and the importance of cherishing each moment of their shared life.

💡Iambic Pentameter

Iambic pentameter is a metrical line of verse consisting of five iambs, or ten syllables, per line. The script notes that the poem uses iambic pentameter, which creates a rhythm that closely mimics the natural rhythm of English speech, giving the poem a conversational style that is both intimate and accessible.

💡Heroic Couplets

Heroic couplets are pairs of rhyming lines written in iambic pentameter, often used for serious or elevated subjects. The script mentions that Bradstreet's use of heroic couplets in 'To My Dear and Loving Husband' underscores her high regard for her husband and the importance of their love, aligning the poem with the tradition of discussing significant themes.

💡Puritan Faith

The Puritan faith was a religious reform movement within Protestant Christianity during the 16th and 17th centuries. The script discusses how Bradstreet's Puritan faith and the central role of religion in people's lives during her time influenced the poem, particularly in the way she links earthly love with divine love and the afterlife.

💡10th Muse

The '10th Muse' refers to Bradstreet's volume of poetry titled 'The Tenth Muse, Lately Sprung Up in America,' which was the first published work by a woman in British North America. The script mentions this work to highlight Bradstreet's significance as an early North American woman poet and her recognition in literary circles of the time.

Highlights

The poem 'To My Dear and Loving Husband' by Anne Bradstreet is an unashamed declaration of love, unusual for its time.

The poem uses anaphora to stress the importance of the speaker's love for her husband.

The use of end stop lines makes the speaker's points direct and declarative.

The poem is autobiographical, written in the first person, highlighting intimacy.

Apostrophe is used to address the husband and other women, creating a passionate and intimate tone.

Bradstreet challenges other women to compare their marriages to hers, introducing universal themes of love and marriage.

The speaker's love for her husband is emphasized through hyperbolic language and comparisons to material wealth.

The poem contrasts earthly pleasures with the speaker's pious and pure love for her husband.

Bradstreet's poem opposes the notion that marriage should be a financial transaction, stressing love as the foundation.

The speaker's unselfish love is demonstrated by seeking no reward for herself, only for her husband.

The poem makes a case for marriage aiding in achieving salvation, opposing the idea of relinquishing earthly love for divine love.

The theme of 'carpe diem' is introduced, emphasizing the brevity of life and the need to make the most of each day.

The poem's structure, using rhyming couplets and iambic pentameter, supports the theme of couples bound by love.

Bradstreet's use of strong direct rhymes conveys confidence and self-assurance in her claims about marriage.

The poem provides a rare woman's perspective on love and marriage from the 17th century.

Bradstreet's work has endured, and she is considered an important North American poet.

The poem's themes are universal and timeless, making it relevant to diverse relationships today.

The video concludes by reminding viewers of the importance of expressing love and appreciation in relationships.

Transcripts

[Music]

hello

today's poem we're considering is to my

dear and loving husband by anne

bradstreet

before we start

if you haven't yet subscribed to our

channel it will be greatly appreciated

if you would

thank you so much

i have the poem here

so

let's start

if ever two were one

then surely we

if every man will live by wife

then they

if ever wife was happy in a man

compare with me ye women if you can

i prize thy love more than whole minds

of gold or all the riches that the east

doth hold

my love is such that rivers cannot

quench

nor ought but love from thee give

recompense

thy love is such i can no way repay

the heavens reward thee

manifold i pray

then while we live in love let's so

persevere

that's when we live no more we may live

ever

this poem an unashamed declaration of

love

has many many

layers

and interesting for many different

reasons

there's plenty to pack so let's start

this unashamed declaration of love is

unusual because unlike many love poems

it isn't bemoaning lost or unattainable

love

nor is it written in the first throws of

love

on the contrary the poem is written by a

wife to her husband

many years into her marriage and she

declares her total devotion to him the

first three lines begin with if ever

an example of anaphora a rhetorical

device used to stress the important

points the speaker is making about her

marriage and love for her husband

using anaphora makes the poem elegant

and formal

highlighting that what she says is

important and sincere using end stop

lines for example lines one and two make

her points direct and declarative the

balance and elegance of the poem's lines

demonstrate that the poet has given much

thought to what she needs to tell her

husband

demonstrating her devotion to him if

ever two were one then surely we

if ever man were loved by wife

then they

if ever wife was happy in a man

the poem speaker is undoubtedly and

bradstreet and therefore the poem is

autobiographical

it is written in the first person voice

the most intimate and personal form of

writing

additionally in the first three lines of

the poem the speaker directly addresses

her husband using apostrophe

apostrophe is a technique where the

speaker addresses someone or something

absent or incapable of replying using

apostrophe gives the poem the feel of a

passionate and intimate declaration of

love

as though the reader is privy to the

speaker's innermost thoughts and

feelings concerning her husband the

first person inclusive pronoun we

stresses the intimacy of the couple

that they are united a partnership

placing we at the end of the first line

makes it prominent and stresses its

importance

in line two the

an archaic form of you

placed at the end of the line stresses

her husband's importance to her and

cements through rhyme the earlier we in

line one

we

and thee in lines three and four

bradstreet declares her happiness in her

marriage it compares well with any other

love other women may hold for their

husbands

if ever wife was happy in a man

compare with me you women if you can

bradstreet challenges

ye women to compare their marriages to

hers

this shift in the poem's use of

apostrophe from directly addressing a

specific person

her husband to talking to all women

demonstrates the poet wants to introduce

universal and timeless themes the themes

of love and marriage

well the speaker may sound boastful it

reflects her need to declare her love

and happiness to her husband and to

other women

it indicates that despite being married

a long time she retains the self-assured

manner of those newly in love

who often feel that their love is better

than everyone else's and no one has ever

loved or felt as much love as she

it shows us that her love for her

husband remains undiminished despite the

passing of time in lines five to seven

the poet uses elevated language using

hyperbole exaggeration to emphasize her

love for her spouse i prize thy love

more than whole minds of gold

or all the riches that the east doth

hold

my love is such that rivers cannot

quench

she uses whole minds of gold

and that rivers cannot quench to stress

the depth of her love for her husband

gold signifies how precious he is to her

and how much she values him

rivers cannot quench

underlines that her love is limitless

and insatiable

the speaker refers to all the riches

that the east doth hold a familiar trope

of 17th century writing where lands east

of europe are represented as exotic

wealthy and sensual

she uses the east as a symbol of such

earthly forms of desire

in doing so she emphasizes the piety and

purity of her love by implicitly

contrasting it with the sensual earthly

pleasures she rejects for her husband's

love

as the poem progresses the speaker

considers the relationship between her

love for her husband and her religious

faith

this is not surprising given and

bradstreet's puritan faith and

religion's central role in people's

lives in this period

this shift begins in line 7 where the

speaker alludes to the biblical love

poem song of solomon

which says many waters cannot quench

love

song of solomon is a highly charged

erotic and sensual biblical poem

through this illusion the speaker

associates her love with the bible's

presentation of love

and as she notes that rivers cannot

quench her desire for her husband she

certainly suggests that her love is

undying and will live after her short

time on earth has passed

she is likely implying her love for him

contains sexual desires undiminished

despite their long time together

the speaker refers to her marriage as a

prize and compares it to riches and gold

this is really important

for an understanding of the concept of

marriage in the 17th century

these are material riches the kind of

wealth that one uses during life

this is perhaps unsurprising given the

period in which bradstreet wrote to the

poem

at this point in history the ideal of

marriage as a partnership built on love

had not yet fully emerged and many

people treated marriage as a simple

financial transaction

but anne bradstreet rebels against this

notion of marriage

she stresses its non-financial rewards

and only uses comparisons to material

wealth to show how much she loves her

husband

for example lines eight and nine

no ought but love from thee give

recompense thy love is such i can no way

repay

here bradstreet declares her gratitude

for his love which she cannot repay

because she is richer for his love

that bradstreet mentions her husband

returns her love reflects that at this

time often marriages were loveless

relationships

marriage was transactional

many married not for love but for

financial reasons

for the rich marriage was a means to

acquire wealth or property

which often came with the bride

as a dowry

a gift of money property or land

for women it brought financial security

and status

this practice continued throughout the

18th and 19th centuries

described perfectly in jane austen's

novels pride and prejudice

and

persuasion

marrying for money likely accounts for

bradstreet's use of words associated

with finance

gold riches

recompense

repay

bradstreet makes this association to

state categorically that their

relationship is different it is pure

based not on financial gain

but built

on love

in line 9 she states that although she

cannot repay her husband's love in

material wealth he will receive his

reward in the afterlife

it's worth noting that she seeks reward

only for her husband and seeks nothing

for herself demonstrating that her love

is unselfish putting the others needs

before her own

the final four lines

are where the poem makes its boldest

claims

about

marriage for the first eight lines of

the poem the speaker has largely talked

about her marriage in earthly terms

now it addresses salvation heaven and

the afterlife in the poem's final four

lines she makes a strong case that

marriage will help her and her husband

achieve salvation

in doing so she implicitly opposes other

puritan poets like george herbert who

often argue that salvation requires

relinquishing earthly love in favor of

divine love

but anne bradstreet is having none of

that she strongly disagrees

for her earthly love and divine love are

closely linked together

lines to 12 bounce material

considerations

with spiritual

here bradstreet considers the afterlife

and how their love will fare there

the heavens reward thee manifold i pray

then while we live in love let's so

persevere

that's when we live no more we may live

ever

in lines 10 and 11 the speaker says she

hopes that although she cannot repay him

in material wealth she wishes he

receives his rewards

manifold

many times over

in the afterlife

in line 11 then while we live in love

let's sew perceva

she shares her hope that as a couple

they will work hard to ensure their love

continues

they will work hard to persever

persevere

the speaker also asks that they make the

most of every day this notion introduces

the theme of carpe diem

sees the day that they should harvest

every moment of their lives together

in this respect the poem sits well with

her male contemporaries john dunn and

andrew marvel who introduced the theme

of carpe diem in their work

however they often do so for carnal

purposes to convince their lovers to

enjoy the pleasures of the flesh today

and not hesitate to have sex with them

because they could all be dead tomorrow

andrew marvel's poem to his koi mistress

is a fine example of the carpe diem

theme being used to persuade

it is easy to understand how the notion

of carpe diem was pervasive and

persuasive in the 17th century

in a world beset by plague and other

deathly diseases where life was short

and brutal

bradstreet introduces the theme to

highlight life's brevity and the need to

make the most of each day

the final line

that's when we live no more we may live

ever

looks ahead to when they will die and

she hopes that after death their love

will continue

eternally

lines 10 to 12 reflect and bradstreet's

religious faith in an afterlife

she

unquestioningly

believes their earthly love will

continue in the afterlife

because it is strong and has a spiritual

element on earth

where they are even now

soulmates

by mentioning the afterlife

and her love on the same line

she equates

places on the same footing

heavenly happiness

and the happiness loving her husband

brings her in lines 11 and 12

cezora a natural break stresses the

division between life and death

then while we live

in love let's so persevere

that's when we live no more

we may live ever

on line 11

stress on the final syllable sever

compounds this division as life is

severed and replaced by an afterlife

at its heart to my dear and loving

husband is a simple declaration of love

and reflected in its simple rhyming

the use of six rhyming couplets

fittingly supports the theme of couples

bound together by love

using rhyming couplets that employ

iambic pentameter

make them heroic couplets a form used

when discussing important subjects

bradstreet's use of heroic couplets

stresses her high regard for her husband

and their love

regarding the poem's technique and

structure at the start of its first

three lines the speaker repeats the

phrase if ever

this use of anaphora sets the stakes for

the poem

the speaker isn't simply praising her

marriage on its own terms

rather she is measuring it against all

marriages

ever

further anaphora binds together these

lines

to build on each other

becoming a single argument for the

unique power and value of the speaker's

marriage

this effect is strengthened by the poems

simultaneous use of assonance with a

strong pattern of e

and e sounds through the first four

lines

this sense of being separate and

together mirrors the speaker's claim

she and her husband are individuals but

they also form

a unit

importantly the poem features a woman's

voice

and a woman's perspective on love

this was rare at the time

however in a social context it shows the

secondary role of women in the 17th

century because like many women writers

and bradstreet had to publish

anonymously

and this poem was published after her

death

the poet uses many end stop lines that

make her points clear and concise which

fits the puritan ethos of unadorned

style and simplicity

for example

then while we live in love let's so

persevere

that's when we live no more we may live

ever

the poem is written in iambic pentameter

iambic pentameter is often found in

english poem especially poets bradstreet

admired including shakespeare and

spencer

it employs ten syllables with the stress

usually falling on the first

third fifth seventh and ninth syllables

iambic pentameter creates a rhythm that

closely mimics the rhythm of english

speech

using iambic pentameter creates a

conversational style

and we can almost hear the poet speaking

to her husband and to

ye women while brad street's stresses do

not follow

conventional iambic patterns

they create a variety that mimics

english speech

further

because we do not always stress our

speech in an ordered manner to my dear

and loving husband is a poem in rhyming

couplets none of the poems rhymes occurs

in more than one couplet

a a b b c c d d e e f f it generally

uses strong direct rhymes most of which

are one syllable

these strong rhymes convey a sense of

confidence and self-assurance

because the speaker is making bold

claims about marriage for example lines

728

my love is such that rivers cannot

quench nor ought but to love from thee

give recompense

quench and recompense might seem slant

rhymes not quite perfect yet if we make

allowance for accents and how these

words may have been spoken in 17th

century england and america they are

probably perfect rhymes

like many of bradstreet's poems to my

dear and loving husband is almost

certainly autobiographical

bradstreet does not pretend that she and

the speaker are somehow separate or

distant from each other

instead she speaks directly in her own

voice

indeed because the poem was only

published posthumously

and because the poems published in her

lifetime were published without her

permission

there is something voyeuristic about

reading this poem it is addressed to a

specific person

simon bradstreet anne's husband and

written in the context of a specific

relationship between two real people

and possibly

despite her address to ye women on line

four

bradstreet never intended anyone but her

husband to read it the poem treats her

marriage with her husband in generic and

idealized terms the reader does not

learn much about him their daily

routines or how they fell in love though

the reader does not learn much about

bradstreet's marriage they learn that it

models the virtues of marriage more

broadly as a result it is easy to

separate the poem from bradstreet's life

circumstances

and instead read it as a general

statement on marriage the speaker of the

poem is thus two people at once a real

historical individual with a specific

life and husband and a generic advocate

of the pleasures and benefits of

marriage more broadly

although written in the massachusetts

bay colony in north america the setting

of to my dear and loving husband is

vague and generic because the poet wants

us to focus on the concept of love

within marriage

it is this generality that makes the

poems themes universal and timeless

the poem is significant because we are

given an insight into love and marriage

from a woman's perspective

rare in the 17th century

also from the perspective of a married

woman we must wait another 200 years for

more women poets to share their

perspectives including barrett browning

and rossetti

we are also witnessing

the beginning of north american women

poets

and bradstreet was the first woman to be

recognized as an accomplished new world

poet

her volume of poetry the 10th muse

lately sprung up in america

received considerable favorable

attention when first published in london

in 1650.

eight years after it appeared it was

listed by william london in his

catalogue of the most vendable books in

england vendable meaning saleable and

george iii is reported to have had the

volume in his library

anne bradstreet's work has endured and

she is considered one of the most

important north american poets

bradstreet was well read she benefited

from the elizabethan tradition that

valued female education and had

extensive knowledge of english and

continental poetry

in about 1628

the date is uncertain

and dudley

married simon bradstreet and remained

married until her death on the 16th of

september

1672

bradstreet emigrated to the new world

with her husband and parents in 1630. in

1633

anne gave birth to the first of seven

children

the speaker's tone is one of bliss and

contentment

in line two the reference to wife

highlights one of the poems major themes

her belief that marriage is the natural

vehicle for love

it is a partnership

that makes two people into one and

marriage should continue until a partner

dies and genuine love will continue in

the afterlife

but are and bradstreet's observations on

marriage as relevant today as they were

in the 17th century

to an increasingly secular population

and society

with diverse relationships

and bradstreet promoting marriage may

seem puzzling

outdated

even quaint

yet many whatever their sexual

orientation

still see marriage as the formal

affirmation of a lifelong commitment to

another

indeed many have had to fight tirelessly

for this recognition in law and theology

whatever view we hold of marriage

and bradstreet's poem reminds us that

one ingredient for a happy marriage

or

relationship is to tell your partner

regularly that you love

and value them

thank you so much

for watching this video

i hope you found it interesting and

helpful

if so please hit the like button below

also check out our other videos on

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until next time

write well

[Music]

you