Upon Some Distemper of Body

Upon Some Distemper of Body 

In anguish of my heart replete with woes, 
And wasting pains, which best my body knows, 
In tossing slumbers on my wakeful bed, 
Bedrenched with tears that flowed from mournful head, 
Till nature had exhausted all her store, 
Then eyes lay dry, disabled to weep more; 
And looking up unto his throne on high, 
Who sendeth help to those in misery; 
He chased away those clouds and let me see 
My anchor cast i' th' vale with safety. 
He eased my soul of woe, my flesh of pain, 
and brought me to the shore from troubled main. 

The main idea of this poem involves God and asking for forgiveness for a wrong doing or asking for help during a sickness. As the poem begins Anne Bradstreet is speaking of physical and spiritual problems she has and the effects they have on her. These effects drive Anne to ask for God's help who she doesn't openly ask for in the poem, but instead uses symbolism, such as in the quote “Who sendeth help to those in misery.” We often do the same thing when ourselves or loved ones have an extreme illness and look to God for help and prayer they'll get better. The poem does a good job of showing the acceptance and reliance she has on God when she looked to him to ease her pain. "He chased away those clouds and let me see”