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"If we had no Winter, the spring would not be so pleasant;
If we did not sometimes taste the adversity,
prosperity would not be so welcome." -Anne Bradstreet
What is the meaning of this quotation with reference to one of Anne Bradstreet’s famous poem “Upon The Burning of Our House”? How do you understand her constant devotion/dedication to faith regardless of so terrible events in her life?
Definitely the religious theme (on) which Anne so deeply focused on was one of her characteristic distinction. Her poems are full of emotions and speak about concerns from her heart. Moreover, Bradstreet as a strong Puritan often writes about her and the world of the Bible and the reality surrounding her.
In her poem “Upon the Burning of Our House” she tells us about the devastating fire that reduced her home to ashes. Leaving her family homeless and devoid of all belongings. They remain in this “Winter” time when they have “to taste the adversity” of life. In spite of that misfortune/disaster Anne remain strong and able to move on in her life. She knows that "Thou hast an house on high erect”, meaning that her real home is in heaven. Bradstreet finds comfort in God and her belief in him makes her so unbreakable. When she starts thinking about all her possessions that she (had) lost, she actually realizes that everything that was on fire belonged to God. Therefore, she cannot mourn the lost because He had the right to take them away. Thus/Though, she realizes that material possessions do not matter, what matters is her “house on high”. Then in the middle part we get to see how she really feels dreadful about her loss. At once she feels grief and anger but she reject those emotions. Anne quickly forces herself back into the scripted religious teaching and finds solace in the promise of heavenly reward. Her acknowledgement of God through out this poem shows her devotion and respect to her Puritan beliefs as well as her love for the spiritual world.
All in all, I think it is because of her Puritan background, that she finds easier to cope with the sorrow of losing her home to a fire. Bradstreet considers that “prosperity” is that what is waiting for her in God place and now she is still in that “winter” time, time of suffering, sorrow and illness. Spring is still to come and through the pain Anne hopes to reach it.