In Reference to Her Children, 23 June 1659 by Anne Bradstreet
"In Reference to Her Children, 23 June 1659" by Anne Bradstreet is a poignant poem that reflects the deep bond between a mother and her children as they grow and venture into their own lives. Employing a bird metaphor, Bradstreet describes her eight children, whom she affectionately refers to as "birds" in her "nest." The poem captures a moment of reflection after five of her children have left home, highlighting her ongoing concerns for their well-being and her hopes for their futures. Each child is portrayed uniquely, with insights into their individual paths, including marriage, education, and potential pursuits. Additionally, the poem explores themes of maternal love, vulnerability, and the legacy of care a mother wishes to impart to her offspring. As she contemplates her own mortality, she expresses a desire for her children to continue the values of love and moral instruction she has instilled in them. The work serves as a heartfelt reminder of the universal nature of a mother’s love and concern, resonating with anyone who values familial connections.
In Reference to Her Children, 23 June 1659 by Anne Bradstreet
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1678 (collected in Several Poems Compiled with Great Variety of Wit and Learning, Full of Delight, 1678)
Type of work: Poem
The Work
One of Bradstreet’s most charming poems, “In Reference to Her Children, 23 June 1659” distinguishes and describes each of the “eight birds” from her “nest.” Several times she indicates precise dates for her poems or the events they describe; this one suggests a time of relative leisure after five of the eight have left home.
She maintains the bird metaphor throughout the poem’s ninety-six lines, describing the various “flights” of five of her children and her concerns about those remaining in the nest. Four are “cocks,” four “hens.” The oldest having flown “to regions far,” she longs for his return. The next two, both girls, have been married, while the second son is at “the academy,” where he will learn to sing better than nightingales. Number five is “mongst the shrubs and bushes,” which may mean that he has taken up farming. She hopes that the youngest three will not fall victim to birdcatchers, stone-throwers, or hawks.
Recalling the pains and cares of their early childhood, she notes that their growing up has not ended her constant concern for their welfare. Going on to remind the children that her own days are numbered, she tells them that she expects to be singing among the angels soon. The closing lines beg her brood to emulate in their own families the loving attention and moral instruction she has bestowed on them, thus keeping her alive in a way. She ends by bidding her offspring farewell and assuring them that she will be happy if all goes well with them.
Forty-eight tetrameter couplets might seem rather a long time to keep the bird metaphor going, but Bradstreet’s light touch sustains the reader’s interest. Because she evokes her children as individuals and conveys her tender feeling for each of them, this poem written on a particular day for a particular family expresses the universality of mother love.
Bibliography
Cowell, Pattie, and Ann Stanford, eds. Critical Essays on Anne Bradstreet. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1983.
Dolle, Raymond F. Anne Bradstreet: A Reference Guide. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1990.
Hammond, Jeffrey. Sinful Self, Saintly Self. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1993.
Harde, Roxanne. “’Then Soul and Body Shall Unite’: Anne Bradstreet’s Theology of Embodiment.” In From Anne Bradstreet to Abraham Lincoln: Puritanism in America, edited by Michael Schuldiner. Lewiston, N.Y.: Edwin Mellen Press, 2004.
Martin, Wendy. An American Triptych: Anne Bradstreet, Emily Dickinson, Adrienne Rich. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1984.
Scheick, William J. Authority and Female Authorship in Colonial America. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1998.
Stanford, Ann. Anne Bradstreet: The Worldly Puritan. New York: Burt Franklin, 1974.
White, Elizabeth Wade. Anne Bradstreet: The Tenth Muse. New York: Oxford University Press, 1971.