Transcendentalist Poets: Ralph Waldo Emerson and Emma Bradstreets

Praise and bless my Lord and thank Him” -Saint Francis of Assisi 
“You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands.” -From Psalm 8 

When one speaks of comparable writers, they’re often related from the same literary movement or have common biographies. Ralph Waldo Emerson, for instance, is comparable to Henry David Thoreau in that both are products of middle nineteenth century New England thought, and they came into each other’s acquaintance during their lifetime. Anne Bradstreet, a seventeenth century Puritan wife and mother, can be comparable to any number of people who made God one of their most important subjects to write about, such as St. Francis of Assisi’s poetry. 
   
That Emerson and Bradstreet find themselves comparable may be considered an audacious claim, but nevertheless one can be made if a close examination of both of their work is made. Anne Bradstreet came to Plymouth from England in the early 1600’s to escape religious persecution, and although she didn’t pioneer a particular movement, she is considered to be one of the first American poets. For a Puritan, some of her writings are untraditional, as they don’t always focus on the wonders of God. A perfect model for what a Puritan should write about is found in the journals of John Bradford, a contemporary of Bradstreet’s husband and another to sail to Plymouth. In his narrative, he speaks of “God’s mercy”, “this it pleased God” and “they gave God solemn thanks.”(p. 115 Norton) dstreet emphasizes God’s hand as well, but a struggle persisted throughout her lifetime, as is evident in “To my Dear Children.”