Answer and Explanation:
Anne Bradstreet was born Anne Dudley was born in England in 1612. After moving to the American Colonies and marrying Simon Bradstreet she began the first author to be published in North America. Her puritanical upbringing heavily influenced her writings and especially her poetry about her love for her husband. Bradstreet's "To My Dear and Loving Husband" is probably the best example. On the surface, the poem seems to be a rather basic expression of a woman's love for her husband. It contains imagery of flowing rivers quenching the fires of love as well as the idea that her love for her husband makes her richer than the gold of exotic places. It reads much like Shakespeare's "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?" but actually on a deeper level asks a far more existential question about her own morality and mortality. In Puritan communities, a man's purpose was to contemplate his relationship with God and ponder his eternal life. In Bradstreet's life, she was very concerned that her passionate feelings for her husband were at odds with the teachings of her faith. In the final lines of the poem, she ponders whether she will be given life eternal within the bonds of her marriage.