Anne Bradstreet

If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me ye women if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines 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 persever,
That when we live no more we may live ever. 

        -To My Dear and Loving Husband, Anne Bradstreet-

Anne Bradstreet was a puritan poet who used love as the main inspiration for her writing.  She wrote many 

poems about family members and loved ones such as the one above, "To My Dear and Loving Husband". 

Bradstreet uses quite a few metaphors in this poem. Metaphors were an easy way to convey emotion to her 

readers in terms that they could picture.  Her Puritan faith influenced her writing, she used references to 

Christianity as well as the bible in many of her works.  In this poem, the line "Thy love is such i can no way 

repay; the heavens reward thee manifold, i pray", is written with a puritan mindset.  Lastly, the main theme of 

this poem is love.  The whole poem is a description of Anne's love for her husband.