Definition: any genus of chiefly Eurasian herbs having usually pink, red, or white flowers http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pinks?show=0&t=1379546624

Definition: Carnation http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gillyflower

Definition: staying quality; vigor and strength of spirit or temperament. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mettle

Definition: The Roman Goddess of Dawn http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aurora

Definition: Being three times twenty; sixty http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threescore

Definition: Yellow bile, state or quality of being bilious http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/choler

Definition: One of four humors in early physiology that was considered to be cold and moist and cause sluggishness.; mucus http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phlegm

Definition: defeat, thwart http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foil

The enemy defeated here seems to be her death, although death will come eventually for her.

This entire section of her poem reads like a prayer, with her begging that she remain pure and good in life so that when she dies she will be ensured salvation. Although religion in the Chesapeake was not quite as severe as in Puritan Culture in New England, it seems that this type of prayer fit with Chesapeake society better.

I am not quite sure what the message of this passage is. I believe she is reiterating the speed that life passes people by, particularly in the Chesapeake colonies of the time.

Despite how short and brutal her life may be, she intends to have lived it to the fullest appears to be the message in this passage.

This line appears to be a reference to the Bible. She appears to be saying that death comes to all because of man's sin.

Definition: In the Year of (1632) of her age (19) http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aetatis+suae?show=0&t=1379544361

Anne Bradstreet appears to be saying that though she is not quite 20 years old she is about to die. In the early years of colonization of the Chesapeake people died quite young.

It was relatively unusual in the 1690s for women to become indenture servants to the Chesapeake Colonies for the ratio of men to women through the 18th century was quite uneven. The short life expectancy and hard work required meant fewer women were willing to go to those colonies. Up through the 1680s the ratio of male indentured servants to female ones was 4 to 1: http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Indentured_Servants_in_Colonial_Virginia#start_entry

It is interesting how if anything goes wrong with Rebeccah's indenture that she is returned to her father's care. The fact that the people who were to be in charge of her are prepared for the possibility of their own deaths means that life was quite possibly still quite short in the Chesapeake colonies through the 1690s as we mentioned in class. Life Expectancy in Chesapeake Colonies: http://public.gettysburg.edu/~tshannon/341/sites/Death%20and%20Mourning/chesapeake.htm

Rebeccah Francis was given an unusually large payment from her employers for finishing her servitude -"Women were entitled to fifteen bushels of corn and the equivalent of forty shillings"-[http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Indentured_Servants_in_Colonial_Virginia#start_entry ]. This lead me to believe that Francis may have been higher class in England or that she had an exemplary skill set.

I believe that the concessions made for her schooling were unusual to find in an indentured servant's contract. Perhaps in the case of skilled workers or women whose male relatives consent was needed this happened.

Treatment of Indentured Servants:http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Indentured_Servants_in_Colonial_Virginia#start_entry

In her contract she is to be indentured until 21 or until she gets married, which appears to be an unusual concession. Additionally, the question of her age at the time of indenture appears for most indentured servants labored for between four and seven years.

marriage concession might have been unusual: http://www.pricegen.com/origins-of-colonial-chesapeake/

It is quite interesting that her father's consent was needed before her own in the Indentured Servant contract. Perhaps serving as some evidence of the patriarchal English culture of the 17th century mentioned in class. (Some supporting information at http://web.campbell.edu/faculty/vandergriffk/FamColonial.html )