My Favorite Poem

Mrs. Landreth was my white-haired 11th grade American Literature teacher. Most all of her students hated her because of her totalitarian manner and penchant for making her students look like idiots. Her reputation preceded her throughout the school. Tenth graders bargained with God, "Please don't let me get Mrs. Landreth next year!" Nevertheless, if you were on an upper level track, your being assigned to her class was almost a certainty.

Yes, most all students either hated or feared her, but I was one of the few who did neither. I appreciated her strict nature and structured lessons. During the weeks of grammar study, I loved diagramming even the most complicated of sentences that she would assign, as well as taking her infamous "Grammar Rule" quizzes. Even now, I contribute my avoidance of comma splices, faulty parallelism, and dangling participles to Mrs. Landreth's class.

However, what I remember most about her class was a poem by early American poet Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672). This particular poem is a love letter of sorts to her husband. Her great love for him is amplified by the metaphors that she uses, and she even challenges other women to find a better man than hers. She compares her love for him to all those who have loved before her by using "if ever", and prays that their love will endure even in the after life. Now that's being down for your man--17th century style!

In the rare chance that you are reading this, thank you Mrs. Landreth for helping me to learn how beauty can be expressed through words and what unconditional love is all about.

To My Dear and Loving Husband
by Anne Bradstreet

If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee.
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole Mines of gold
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that Rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompence.
Thy love is such I can no way repay.
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let's so persevere
That when we live no more, we may live ever.