Harb 1 Bradstreet Conveys Reality Through Poetry
Harb 1 Bradstreet Conveys Reality Through Poetry Harsh reality is exactly what Anne Bradstreet proposes through her writings in her lifetime. In the 1600s, popular Puritan writers included men such as William Bradford, John Smith, Jonathan Edwards, Edward Taylor, and William Byrd, who were considered free writers that wrote on a religious and secular basis. For writing pieces including secular, religious, or deriving from the many genres, if the author was a woman, she had many reasons to remain anonymous whether it be for her own good or for the sake of normality in those times. Although Puritans remained on the more educated side of the spectrum, literary pieces that did not subjugate to God were harshly dismissed or mildly looked over. Bradstreet gives the public a cold shoulder and continues to broadcast her writings despite the social consequences that followed. Bradstreet’s voice, metaphors, and imagery in “The Prologue” convey the reality-the double standard which was so overlooked in those times. Bradstreet’s poems were conventional in style and form which drew people in and kept them attentive to what she had to say next. Her secular poetry was released in a way that could be overlooked by many. She used this literary device where the poem is very secular but wittily disguised as a religious one and focused on biblical allusions. The art of tricking the human mind to believe something much different than the true intention of the writer was Bradstreet’s gift. The true reality was, Bradstreet was as good as the male writers who were so highly focused on, if not better. Bradstreet constantly brings up the idea in her secular poems that she could be a writer too, and an influential one. She will even insult herself to please the ego of her opponents. During those difficult times, it was the easiest way to release secular poetry because it can have different meanings depending on the reader. Readers must truly understand Bradstreet’s background to pick up her sarcasm and satirical remarks.
Harb 2 “The Prologue” reveals the true voice of Anne Bradstreet. This literature piece is unapologetic and results from the misogynistic comments she received for writing exactly. In “The Prologue” Bradstreet writes: I am obnoxious to each carping tongue Who says my hand a needle better fits, A poet’s pen all scorn I should thus wrong, For such despite they cast on female wits; If what I do prove well, it won’t advance, They’ll say it’s stol’n, or else it was by chance. (lines 25-30) This verse is very controversial and attacks her male critics. To those who were critical of her writings and those who told her to continue with her chores instead of pursuing her writing hobby are called out. Bethany Reid’s article “’Unfit for Light’: Anne Bradstreet's Monstrous Birth”, notes that “obnoxious” means “vulnerable to attack” in 1600s context. Reid breaks down “The Prologue” line by line. “A poet’s pen”-a phallic instrument, is an object women have no business using, Reid explains. The people’s reaction to Bradstreet was very much like the modern-day jokes such as, “get back in the kitchen”. The audience at the time made her believe that she was contaminating poetry by continuing for they disapprove the liberation of women. Even if they did enjoy her poetry, there was no way it could be hers. She was either lucky to create a single piece or it wasn’t hers to begin with. A theme of female weakness is repetitive throughout this whole poem. In addition to voice, readers are left to pick up her voice that goes from calm and gentle yet ironic, and the foolishness of the people she was up against. Reid mentions that this was an art that Bradstreet practiced and an art practiced by many women
Harb 3 writers throughout time. “There, there, you really are smarter than I am, Dear.”, is how Reid imagines it to sound. In addition to voice, in line 24 Bradstreet mentions her “weak brain”, which is the voice that she uses repeatedly to defend her position as a writer, and the trials that come with it. Bradstreet bounces back and has a pattern with her style of voice, in one line she writes about what was being said of her and how she accepts it then the following line she writes about her opponent. Branka Arsic writes an article, “’Brain-Ache’: Anne Bradstreet On Sensing”, where she analyzes Anne Bradstreet’s thought process and the way her “weak brain” is wired which gives the audience a better understanding of the poet. Arsic writes “the ‘obscure lines’ referred to in ‘The Prologue’ as Bradstreet's best language could be interpreted either as a thing-sensation or as a material repository of the brain's "striving pain".”, the striving pain that Arsic mentioned derives from the struggle and repetitive thoughts that Bradstreet encountered. Bradstreet suffered and felt the striving pain to be viewed and respected the same way that the male poets were. The male poets were privileged to publish literary works and it became exhausting for Bradstreet. To demand liberation and acknowledgement from a dominant group was a tough obstacle. The morals of the 1600s left women of the Puritan group, and all over actually, oppressed. The second literary device shown throughout “The Prologue” are metaphors. Bradstreet’s metaphor choices are very helpful for readers due to the strong choice of comparisons she used. In lines 37-38, Bradstreet uses a strong metaphor, “Let Greeks be Greeks, and women what they are. / Men have precedency and still excel;”, Bradstreet means she doesn’t have to compete with them and she doesn’t want to. Bradstreet was fine with men taking the spotlight and exceling. She wanted to draw a line and end the tension between both worlds. “And ever with your prey still catch your praise,” (line 44), comparing the male poets to birds and that their prey that they
Harb 4 aim to capture is really praise they wish to receive. The work she was doing here is constantly undermining the idea that women can’t write. To conclude “The Prologue”, Bradstreet signs off with another metaphor and imagery in lines 47-48: “This mean and unrefined ore of mine / Will make your glist’ring gold but more to shine.” This sounds like she’s trying to ease the anger she knows will result out of the men reading this. She uses a metaphor and compares her own writing to and “unrefined ore”. Placing her poetry next to that of men, she was assuring them that she will help them to look better, like “glist’ring gold”. War is a common term in “The Prologue”, because many known writers wrote about it. Bradstreet creates an imagery out of it. In lines 1 and 39, Bradstreet has different context of the word ‘war’. In line 1, she mentions real wars because that’s where the interest of men lay. In like 39, Bradstreet takes a different approach to the word and used it to describe her ongoing “war” with her critics. Bradstreet’s use of figurative language shows her war of words and that battle comes in different forms. In Carrie Galloways Blackstock’s “Anne Bradstreet and Performativity: Self-cultivation, Self-deployment”, Blackstock’s notes the war Bradstreet mentions is a part of men’s games that she doesn’t affiliate herself with. If she were to be a part of these “wars” she is a soldier of love and “The Prologue” is an “intentional and ironic” message. The final imagery of the poem, line 47-48, Bradstreet compares her writings to ‘ore’being raw and unpolished, and her components to ‘glist’ring gold’- perfect pieces that have no flaws whatsoever. It sounds like Bradstreet is talking herself down but in reality, she has this quiet pride. The reader can imagine two objects, the ore and glist’ring gold, and pinpoint the meaning Bradstreet wanted her critics to understand. Verse 3 holds many terms that convey imagery:
Harb 5 From School-boy's tongue no Rhet'ric we expect, Nor yet a sweet Consort from broken strings, Nor perfect beauty where's a main defect. My foolish, broken, blemished Muse so sings, And this to mend, alas, no Art is able, 'Cause Nature made it so irreparable. (lines 13-18) In addition to imagery, in line 14 the reader can imagine melodies that are played with broken strings and once the reader can understand the school boy’s inability to produce something beautiful because he is just a school boy. It takes time and talent to produce something with no flaws. Just like Bradstreet herself, how would she be able to produce good literary works when her sources are damaged? Bradstreet’s education on writing is very tight compared to her opponents. She was trying to explain to her audience that she’s just this ordinary woman, living her life the way all the other woman were. Bradstreet’s use of “School-boy’s tongue” was used to compare her tight background to one that is still learning. Line 15, a continuation of “beauty”, Bradstreet was urging her readers to keep their expectations low for there was not much she could present. Line 16, readers can assume that Bradstreet’s “muse” is not beautiful and in comparison to those around her, it is flawed greatly. She doesn’t have the same background or education as the male poets around her and the ones that came before her, so how could her poetry be anything like theirs. Lines 17-18, Bradstreet is saying there is nothing to be done about her “broken poetry”. It sounds like she was blaming nature for her flaw. The flaw Bradstreet mentions in being a woman. The people of her time took away the confidence in her writings. Bradstreet shifts from a beaming with confidence writer, one that was unapologetic, to a damaged writer who would never make it.
Harb 6 Her sarcastic, ironic voice showcases through all the metaphors and imagery. Bradstreet continuously shoved off their remarks and till this day she is remembered as a feminist that wrote and publicly showcased her writings, who simultaneously did not care about the public and recklessly went for what she wanted. Her strong characteristic show through her writings and she conveys it all through her use of voice, metaphors, and strong imagery. Bradstreet will forever be an iconic feminist that made it work in the 1600s.
Harb 7
Works Cited
Bradstreet, Anne. “The Prologue.” The Norton Anthology, Edited by Julia Reidhead, A, vol. 8, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, NY, American Literature, 2012, pp. 208–209.
Reid, Bethany. ""Unfit for light": Anne Bradstreet's monstrous birth." The New England Quarterly, vol. 71, no. 4, 1998., pp. 517-542.
Arsic, Branka. "BRAIN-ACHE: ANNE BRADSTREET ON SENSING." ELH, vol. 80, no. 4, 2013., pp. 1009-1043.
Carrie, Galloway B. "Anne Bradstreet and performativity: Self-cultivation, self-deployment." Early American Literature, vol. 32, no. 3, 1997., pp. 222-248.
Harb 2 “The Prologue” reveals the true voice of Anne Bradstreet. This literature piece is unapologetic and results from the misogynistic comments she received for writing exactly. In “The Prologue” Bradstreet writes: I am obnoxious to each carping tongue Who says my hand a needle better fits, A poet’s pen all scorn I should thus wrong, For such despite they cast on female wits; If what I do prove well, it won’t advance, They’ll say it’s stol’n, or else it was by chance. (lines 25-30) This verse is very controversial and attacks her male critics. To those who were critical of her writings and those who told her to continue with her chores instead of pursuing her writing hobby are called out. Bethany Reid’s article “’Unfit for Light’: Anne Bradstreet's Monstrous Birth”, notes that “obnoxious” means “vulnerable to attack” in 1600s context. Reid breaks down “The Prologue” line by line. “A poet’s pen”-a phallic instrument, is an object women have no business using, Reid explains. The people’s reaction to Bradstreet was very much like the modern-day jokes such as, “get back in the kitchen”. The audience at the time made her believe that she was contaminating poetry by continuing for they disapprove the liberation of women. Even if they did enjoy her poetry, there was no way it could be hers. She was either lucky to create a single piece or it wasn’t hers to begin with. A theme of female weakness is repetitive throughout this whole poem. In addition to voice, readers are left to pick up her voice that goes from calm and gentle yet ironic, and the foolishness of the people she was up against. Reid mentions that this was an art that Bradstreet practiced and an art practiced by many women
Harb 3 writers throughout time. “There, there, you really are smarter than I am, Dear.”, is how Reid imagines it to sound. In addition to voice, in line 24 Bradstreet mentions her “weak brain”, which is the voice that she uses repeatedly to defend her position as a writer, and the trials that come with it. Bradstreet bounces back and has a pattern with her style of voice, in one line she writes about what was being said of her and how she accepts it then the following line she writes about her opponent. Branka Arsic writes an article, “’Brain-Ache’: Anne Bradstreet On Sensing”, where she analyzes Anne Bradstreet’s thought process and the way her “weak brain” is wired which gives the audience a better understanding of the poet. Arsic writes “the ‘obscure lines’ referred to in ‘The Prologue’ as Bradstreet's best language could be interpreted either as a thing-sensation or as a material repository of the brain's "striving pain".”, the striving pain that Arsic mentioned derives from the struggle and repetitive thoughts that Bradstreet encountered. Bradstreet suffered and felt the striving pain to be viewed and respected the same way that the male poets were. The male poets were privileged to publish literary works and it became exhausting for Bradstreet. To demand liberation and acknowledgement from a dominant group was a tough obstacle. The morals of the 1600s left women of the Puritan group, and all over actually, oppressed. The second literary device shown throughout “The Prologue” are metaphors. Bradstreet’s metaphor choices are very helpful for readers due to the strong choice of comparisons she used. In lines 37-38, Bradstreet uses a strong metaphor, “Let Greeks be Greeks, and women what they are. / Men have precedency and still excel;”, Bradstreet means she doesn’t have to compete with them and she doesn’t want to. Bradstreet was fine with men taking the spotlight and exceling. She wanted to draw a line and end the tension between both worlds. “And ever with your prey still catch your praise,” (line 44), comparing the male poets to birds and that their prey that they
Harb 4 aim to capture is really praise they wish to receive. The work she was doing here is constantly undermining the idea that women can’t write. To conclude “The Prologue”, Bradstreet signs off with another metaphor and imagery in lines 47-48: “This mean and unrefined ore of mine / Will make your glist’ring gold but more to shine.” This sounds like she’s trying to ease the anger she knows will result out of the men reading this. She uses a metaphor and compares her own writing to and “unrefined ore”. Placing her poetry next to that of men, she was assuring them that she will help them to look better, like “glist’ring gold”. War is a common term in “The Prologue”, because many known writers wrote about it. Bradstreet creates an imagery out of it. In lines 1 and 39, Bradstreet has different context of the word ‘war’. In line 1, she mentions real wars because that’s where the interest of men lay. In like 39, Bradstreet takes a different approach to the word and used it to describe her ongoing “war” with her critics. Bradstreet’s use of figurative language shows her war of words and that battle comes in different forms. In Carrie Galloways Blackstock’s “Anne Bradstreet and Performativity: Self-cultivation, Self-deployment”, Blackstock’s notes the war Bradstreet mentions is a part of men’s games that she doesn’t affiliate herself with. If she were to be a part of these “wars” she is a soldier of love and “The Prologue” is an “intentional and ironic” message. The final imagery of the poem, line 47-48, Bradstreet compares her writings to ‘ore’being raw and unpolished, and her components to ‘glist’ring gold’- perfect pieces that have no flaws whatsoever. It sounds like Bradstreet is talking herself down but in reality, she has this quiet pride. The reader can imagine two objects, the ore and glist’ring gold, and pinpoint the meaning Bradstreet wanted her critics to understand. Verse 3 holds many terms that convey imagery:
Harb 5 From School-boy's tongue no Rhet'ric we expect, Nor yet a sweet Consort from broken strings, Nor perfect beauty where's a main defect. My foolish, broken, blemished Muse so sings, And this to mend, alas, no Art is able, 'Cause Nature made it so irreparable. (lines 13-18) In addition to imagery, in line 14 the reader can imagine melodies that are played with broken strings and once the reader can understand the school boy’s inability to produce something beautiful because he is just a school boy. It takes time and talent to produce something with no flaws. Just like Bradstreet herself, how would she be able to produce good literary works when her sources are damaged? Bradstreet’s education on writing is very tight compared to her opponents. She was trying to explain to her audience that she’s just this ordinary woman, living her life the way all the other woman were. Bradstreet’s use of “School-boy’s tongue” was used to compare her tight background to one that is still learning. Line 15, a continuation of “beauty”, Bradstreet was urging her readers to keep their expectations low for there was not much she could present. Line 16, readers can assume that Bradstreet’s “muse” is not beautiful and in comparison to those around her, it is flawed greatly. She doesn’t have the same background or education as the male poets around her and the ones that came before her, so how could her poetry be anything like theirs. Lines 17-18, Bradstreet is saying there is nothing to be done about her “broken poetry”. It sounds like she was blaming nature for her flaw. The flaw Bradstreet mentions in being a woman. The people of her time took away the confidence in her writings. Bradstreet shifts from a beaming with confidence writer, one that was unapologetic, to a damaged writer who would never make it.
Harb 6 Her sarcastic, ironic voice showcases through all the metaphors and imagery. Bradstreet continuously shoved off their remarks and till this day she is remembered as a feminist that wrote and publicly showcased her writings, who simultaneously did not care about the public and recklessly went for what she wanted. Her strong characteristic show through her writings and she conveys it all through her use of voice, metaphors, and strong imagery. Bradstreet will forever be an iconic feminist that made it work in the 1600s.
Harb 7
Works Cited
Bradstreet, Anne. “The Prologue.” The Norton Anthology, Edited by Julia Reidhead, A, vol. 8, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, NY, American Literature, 2012, pp. 208–209.
Reid, Bethany. ""Unfit for light": Anne Bradstreet's monstrous birth." The New England Quarterly, vol. 71, no. 4, 1998., pp. 517-542.
Arsic, Branka. "BRAIN-ACHE: ANNE BRADSTREET ON SENSING." ELH, vol. 80, no. 4, 2013., pp. 1009-1043.
Carrie, Galloway B. "Anne Bradstreet and performativity: Self-cultivation, self-deployment." Early American Literature, vol. 32, no. 3, 1997., pp. 222-248.
