Anne Bradstreet's literature stressed Puritan values; nonetheless, a diversion from Puritan standards toward her personal perspectives is notable in her writings. Bradstreet is a notable Puritan poet from colonial American literature since she was the colony's first female poet. Her poems reflect the influence of both Renaissance and English poetry on her work. Bradstreet was born on 4 April 1612 in Southtown (now South Boston), Massachusetts. She was the second child of John Bradstreet and Abigail Winthrop, who were wealthy farmers. When Anne was seven years old, her father died in a shipwreck off the coast of Africa while traveling for the Dutch East India Company. The loss of her father forced Anne's mother to move in with her brother Thomas Winthrop and his family so she could take care of them. This left eleven-year-old Anne alone in the world. Despite these hardships, Anne managed to learn Latin and Greek at a young age. She also gained experience working in a printing shop when she was only fourteen years old. After Thomas Winthrop married again, he took his new wife and children back to London where they lived during most of the 1630s. It was here that Anne met many people who would have an impact on her life including William Thomson, who became her first husband. They had three children together before he died in 1649.