On Anne Bradstreet's "The Flesh and the Spirit"
A Text-Based Passage Analysis of Bradstreet's Famous Poem
Oct 9, 2009
Anne Bradstreet, in her poem "The Flesh and the Spirit," creates a dichotomous relationship between the two sisters, Flesh and Spirit; in one instance the sisters are obviously separate parts of the whole of a human being, and yet in the same instance they are inextricably bound to each other. The sister Spirit – indeed, Bradstreet herself – allows only one means of totally and permanently divorcing the sisters one from the other: cessation of earthly, human life.
Flesh and Spirit are Joined -- Literally
Realization of this relationship manifests itself in Spirit's response to Flesh: "Disturb no more my settled heart, / For I have vowed 9and so will do) / Thee as a foe still to pursue" (38-40). The reader sees here that, however much Spirit would like to consider herself wholly separated from her baser sister, she yet relies on a member of flesh – her "settled heart" – to describe her own convictions. Spirit further admits the necessity of Flesh's presence in vowing "[Flesh] as a foe still to pursue." If one takes the meaning of "still" to be "always," Flesh must remain a part with Spirit for the latter to retain her integrity and her place in the whole.
Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust
The final two lines of the selected passage, "And combat with thee will and must, / Until I see the laid in th' dust" (41-42), introduce the means by which Spirit may divorce herself from Flesh. The verbs "will" and "must" of the first line do two separate things: "will" strengthens the conviction of Spirit's aforementioned vow to pursue Flesh until she is dead (or "laid in th' dust"), and "must" reflects the fact that Spirit has no choice but to combat Flesh because they are bound as parts of the same being.
The second line, "Until i see thee laid in th' dust," works directly from the word "must" of the previous line; Spirit must no longer combat Flesh once Flesh is "laid in th' dust" because they will no longer be bound to the whole – that person being deceased. Considering the phrase "ashes to ashes, dust to dust," which implies that all people return to the dust from whence they came once they are dead, the reader realizes that Flesh is not only laid in the dust of the earth as a slain individual, but is laid in the dust of the deceased being by which Flesh and Spirit were once united. At this moment, and only at this moment, is Spirit allowed to claim victory over Flesh and completely remove herself from her sister, from her body, and from the earth.
From Anne Bradstreet's "The Flesh and the Spirit":
Spirit: Be still thou unregenerate part,
Disturb no more my settled heart,
For I have vowed (and so will do)
Thee as a foe still to pursue.
And combat with thee will and must,
Until I see thee laid in th' dust.
Bradstreet, Anne. "The Flesh and the Spirit." English 257 Course Pack. ed. Jess Roberts. Albion: Copyshop, 2007.
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