feeling of irony and questioning of Puritan dogma of acceptance. There is a tone of bitterness in the loss of her grandchildren. She uses a ceremonial and simple expression. She is subtle in stating the irony she feels in their deaths and there is also bitterness at their loss. Her grief is evident in the poems. Anne Bradstreet lived in a difficult time for women. She followed her father, brothers and husband to a new land. She had no choice in this since that was what women of her time were expected to do. Women of her time were not able to express themselves openly so she used her poetry. She was able to do this in a subtle way. Yet she expressed her feelings and her questioning about Puritan theology. Were her conflicts ever fully quieted within her? There is some evidence that towards the end of her life she was able to accept her fate. Anne Bradstreet died on September 16, 1672 at the age of sixty. She was very ill in the last months of her life. Her works reflect the tension and conflict of a woman struggling for artistic expression. She was troubled by religious doubts throughout her life yet managed to be a successful mother and wife. Her belief in the beauty of this world helped her maintain a belief in a heaven....
