Short Description Anne Bradstreet, often called America’s first published poet, wrote with honesty, devotion, and courage in a time when women’s voices were seldom heard. Her faith-driven words, penned in the 1600s, still speak today—reminding us that truth is timeless and God’s grace reaches across centuries. Overview Anne Bradstreet, America’s first published female poet, crafted verses of faith, family, and resilience in 17th-century New England. Born in 1612, she faced colonial hardships while raising eight children and writing poetry that blended Puritan devotion with raw honesty. Her 1650 work, The Tenth Muse, marked her as a literary pioneer, capturing spiritual and personal reflections that resonated across oceans. Despite a culture silencing women, her words endured, shaping American literature and inspiring believers. Her poems, like Upon the Burning of Our House, reveal a faith unshaken by loss, pointing to eternal hope. Bradstreet’s legacy as a Puritan voice and trailblazing female writer challenges us to steward our gifts faithfully, trusting God to carry their impact. This episode explores her life, her poetry’s theological depth, and its modern relevance, culminating in a modernized reading of her poem By Night when Others Soundly Slept, connecting her voice to today’s faith. Keywords Anne Bradstreet, Puritan poet, America’s first poet, colonial poetry, women in history, Christian poetry, 17th century faith, Puritan New England, devotional literature, poetry of faith, timeless poetry, Puritan women, colonial America, spiritual reflection, American literature history, early colonial church, biblical inspiration, Christian women writers, faith and art, godly legacy, enduring faith, poetry application Hashtags #AnneBradstreet #FaithInPoetry #TimelessTruth #ChristianWriters #COACHpodcast Transcript In 17th-century New England, life was not for the faint of heart. Winters were brutal, harvests uncertain, and survival required every ounce of determination. But even in a world of toil and scarcity, a woman found time to write. Her name was Anne Bradstreet. She tended to her home, raised children, and lived under the watchful eye of a culture that believed women should be quiet in public life. And yet, in stolen moments between responsibilities, she filled page after page with poetry—verses about faith, family, loss, and the God she loved. Anne never sought fame. In fact, she seemed surprised when her work was published at all. But her words carried something rare: honesty. She didn’t pretend life was easy. She didn’t hide her doubts or her struggles. She brought them to the page, not to gain sympathy, but to give voice to the reality of living with hope in a broken world. In 1672, Anne Bradstreet died. But her words never did. More than three centuries later, her voice still rises from the pages, speaking truth and comfort into hearts she never imagined would hear them. The question is— what happens when faith speaks so clearly it outlives the one who spoke it? From the That’s Jesus Channel, welcome to COACH—where we trace Church Origins and Church History. I’m Bob Baulch. On Fridays, we stay between 1501 and the present. Today we’re stepping into colonial New England in the 1600s. It was a time of harsh winters, small settlements, and deep religious conviction. And in the midst of it all lived a poet whose work would become the first published by a woman in what would one day be the United States. Her name was Anne Bradstreet. She didn’t write for recognition. She wrote to process her faith, her joys, and her sorrows. Her poetry reveals a woman grounded in Scripture, unafraid to express both gratitude and grief. Through her words, we see the daily realities of Puritan life—and the timeless truths of God’s presence. Her voice continues to speak, challenging us to consider how faith and creativity can stand the test of time. In this episode, we’ll explore her life, her poetry, and the faith that gave her words staying power. We’ll see why her work matters not just as literature, but as testimony. And before we close, I’ll share my favorite poem of hers—slightly modernized—and tell you why it’s personal to me. Anne Bradstreet was born Anne Dudley in 1612 in Northampton, England. She grew up in a family that valued learning. Her father, Thomas Dudley, served as a steward for the Earl of Lincoln, giving her access to one of the best libraries in the region. This was unusual for a girl in the early 1600s. Most women received little formal education, but Anne read widely—Scripture, history, and the great poets of her day. In 1628, at sixteen years old, she married Simon Bradstreet. Four years later, Anne, Simon, and her parents boarded the Arbella, part of the fleet carrying Puritan settlers to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The voyage was long and uncomfortable, and the life that awaited them was even harder. The Bradstreets settled first in ...
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Aug 22 202518 mins