Martha Wadsworth Brewster: One Of America's Earliest Women Poets
Discover the life and legacy of Martha Wadsworth Brewster, a pioneering 18th-century American poet whose work broke barriers for women in literature.
Jul 28, 2025319 Shares63.7K Views
Biography
Martha Wadsworth Brewsterwas born on April 1, 1710, in Lebanon, Connecticut, which was part of colonial New England. She came from a respected family. Her father was Joseph Wadsworth, and her mother was Lydia Brown Wadsworth. Her family had strong religious and political beliefs. Martha was educated at home, which was normal for girls during that time. However, her writings later showed that she had a strong knowledge of the Bible, history, and writing. This suggests that she was well taught, even without formal schooling.
Martha grew up during a time when it was rare for women to write or publish. Most women did not share their writing with the public. But Martha was different. She had a deep love for poetry and felt a strong desire to share her thoughts with others. In March 1732, she married Oliver Brewster, and they continued to live in Lebanon, Connecticut. The couple had two children, a daughter named Ruby Brewsterand a son named Wadsworth Brewster. Martha wrote acrostic poemsfor both children. An acrostic poem is a poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word or name. These poems were full of advice, love, and religious guidance. They showed how deeply she cared about the moral and spiritual lives of her children.
In 1757, Martha Wadsworth Brewster published her only known book of poems titled "Poems on Diverse Subjects". This book had over 1,100 lines of poetryand was one of the first books of poetry published by a woman in colonial America under her own name. Her poetry was very different from other writings at the time. It included wedding poems, funeral poems, dream writings, spiritual reflections, letters, and scriptural verses. She wrote not only about personal topics like family and faith, but also about public matters such as war, political change, and religion. Her poems spoke about the divisions among Christians during the Great Awakening, and she sometimes criticized people who only pretended to be religious. She also praised bravery in battle and spoke about the hardships people faced in her time.
In the prefaceof her book, Martha spoke directly to the readers. She admitted that some people might criticize her for publishing her work because she was a woman. She said she knew she was stepping outside the traditional role expected of women, but she believed her poems were worth sharing. She explained that her only goal was to entertain herself and her close friends. She hoped others would be kind and understand her reasons for publishing.
Some people who read her poems did not believe that a woman could write so well. They accused her of copying from others. To prove them wrong, Martha included a poem in her book that she wrote by translating a Bible passage (from II Chronicles)into verse on the spot. This poem showed that she had true talent and did not need to copy anyone.
Her book was first printed in New London, Connecticut, in 1757and reprinted in Bostonin 1758. A second printing shows that the book was well received and shared beyond her town. At that time, it was a great achievement for any writer—especially a woman—to have her book published and read widely.
There is no exact record of when Martha died, but most historians believe she died around 1757, likely not long after her book was published. She probably passed away in Lebanon, Connecticut, at about 47 years old. Her death went mostly unnoticed in the records, which was sadly common for women at the time.
Today, Martha Wadsworth Brewster is remembered as one of the earliest American women poets. Her work is important because it gives us a rare look at the thoughts and feelings of a colonial woman in her own words. She was brave enough to share her voice in a time when most women stayed silent in public life. Her poems reflect her deep faith, her care for her children, her knowledge of the world around her, and her strength as a woman writer. Her book is now seen as a valuable part of early American literature.
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