Bradstreet, Anne

Bradstreet, Anne Dudley (1612-72). First female poet in the American Colonies. Daughter of Gov. Thomas Dudley. A self-schooled woman, she had never been to any academic institution. However, she gathered a broad range of learning from her father who was an avid reader. While a young girl, Bradstreet read works by Homer, Seneca, Virgil, Plutarch, and John Milton.