"If ever two were one, then surely we. If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.
Anne Bradstreet
By night when others soundly slept
And hath at once both ease and Rest, My waking eyes were open kept And so to lie I found it best. I sought him whom my Soul did Love, With tears I sought him earnestly. He bow’d his ear down from Above. In vain I did not seek or cry. My hungry Soul he fill’d with Good; He in his Bottle put my tears, My smarting wounds washt in his blood, And banisht thence my Doubts and fears. What to my Saviour shall I give Who freely hath done this for me? I’ll serve him here whilst I shall live And Loue him to Eternity. In the poem, "By Night When Others Soundly Slept", Anne Bradstreet expresses her love for God and explains how he is her protector. She uses symbolism when she says, "He in his bottle put my tears". She does this to further explain how she feels about God. The sound pattern that she uses reflects and confirms her Puritan lifestyle. Throughout the entire poem, their is 8 syllables in each line. This clean and precise pattern reflects her Puritan lifestyle being that they have to live a clean and precise life. This sound pattern could also reflect God in a way. We view him as precise, perfect, and consistent which is the same of the sound pattern.
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Twice ten years old not fully told
since nature gave me breath, My race is run, my thread spun, lo, here is fatal death. All men must die, and so must I; this cAnneot be revoked. For Adam's sake this word God spake when he so high provoked. Yet live I shall, this life's but small, in place of highest bliss, Where I shall have all I can crave, no life is like to this. For what's this but care and strife since first we came from womb? Our strength doth waste, our time doth haste, and then we go to th' tomb. O bubble blast, how long can'st last? that always art a breaking, No sooner blown, but dead and gone, ev'n as a word that's speaking. O whilst I live this grace me give, I doing good may be, Then death's arrest I shall count best, because it's Thy decree; Bestow much cost there's nothing lost, to make salvation sure, O great's the gain, though got with pain, comes by profession pure. The race is run, the field is won, the victory's mine I see; Forever known, thou envious foe, the foil belongs to thee. In the poem, “Upon a fit of Sickness” Anne Bradstreet uses clear diction in order to portray her belief that death should be accepted because life after death is better than life on Earth. She begins the poem by stating her age, “twice ten years old not fully told since nature gave me breath, My race is run, my thread spun, lo, here is fatal death. ” , meaning that she is only 20 but is extremely sick. During this time, many people did not live very long due to many different illnesses. People had become accustom, not accepting, to death due to sickness, including Bradstreet. A couple of lines later, she states that, “All men must die and so must I; this cannot be revoked.” By saying this, she distinctly shows her position when it comes to death. She also mentions that she still will live this short life and the life after which she says will be full of bliss. Following this, she compares the two different lives by asking a rhetorical question that mentions how life now brings constant conflict since birth whereas her next life grants her anything she craves. Later in the poem, she begins to mention that the pain that she is going through during this life will pay off in the end. She talks about the victory that she will have won once she dies. Overall, she is aware that death is unavoidable; however, she also knows that life after death is much more promising than the short life we live now. Throughout the entire poem, Bradstreet uses precise diction in order to state her view and beliefs about death and life after. I believe that she does this in order to give her reader’s a clear perception of her claim. She may also do this because her claim is not one that should be misinterpreted or construed. Because her claim is so precious and delicate, due to the fact that it is dealing with religion, she makes it her duty to create clear premises to support her claim. Later in the poem, she begins to mention that the pain that she is going through during this life will pay off in the end. She talks about the victory that she will have won once she dies. Overall, she is aware that death is unavoidable; however, she also knows that life after death is much more promising than the short life we live now. Throughout the entire poem, Bradstreet uses precise diction in order to state her view and beliefs about death and life after. I believe that she does this in order to give her reader’s a clear perception of her claim. She may also do this because her claim is not one that should be misinterpreted or construed. Because her claim is so precious and delicate, due to the fact that it is dealing with religion, she makes it her duty to create clear premises to support her claim. In secret place where once I stood
Close by the Banks of Lacrim flood, I heard two sisters reason on Things that are past and things to come. One Flesh was call'd, who had her eye On worldly wealth and vanity; The other Spirit, who did rear Her thoughts unto a higher sphere. "Sister," quoth Flesh, "what liv'st thou on Nothing but Meditation? Doth Contemplation feed thee so Regardlessly to let earth go? Can Speculation satisfy Notion without Reality? Dost dream of things beyond the Moon And dost thou hope to dwell there soon? Hast treasures there laid up in store That all in th' world thou count'st but poor? Art fancy-sick or turn'd a Sot To catch at shadows which are not? Come, come. I'll show unto thy sense, Industry hath its recompence. What canst desire, but thou maist see True substance in variety? Dost honour like? Acquire the same, As some to their immortal fame; And trophies to thy name erect Which wearing time shall ne'er deject. For riches dost thou long full sore? Behold enough of precious store. Earth hath more silver, pearls, and gold Than eyes can see or hands can hold. Affects thou pleasure? Take thy fill. Earth hath enough of what you will. Then let not go what thou maist find For things unknown only in mind." In the poem, “The Flesh and the Sprit”, Anne Bradstreet uses her precise diction in order to explain a theme that states worldly desires are not worth more in value than our spiritual possessions. The tone that she uses in the poem is a sweet yet determined tone. She battles with her flesh and her spirit throughout the poem, which causes her message to be very controversial. In her poem, she uses the flesh as a symbol of her worldly desires whereas the spirit represents her spiritual and moral responsibilities. These symbols are typical in the present day. Another example of her precise symbolism is in line 7-8, “The other Spirit, who did rear Her thoughts unto a higher sphere.” By saying this, she is symbolizing heaven by calling it a higher sphere. She does this in order to make her message as clear as possible seeing that it a crucial theme. My head, my heart, mine eyes, my life, nay more,
My joy, my magazine, of earthly store, If two be one, as surely thou and I, How stayest thou there, whilst I at Ipswich lie? So many steps, head from the heart to sever, If but a neck, soon should we be together. I, like the Earth this season, mourn in black, My Sun is gone so far in's zodiac, Whom whilst I 'joyed, nor storms, nor frost I felt, His warmth such fridged colds did cause to melt. My chilled limbs now numbed lie forlorn; Return; return, sweet Sol, from Capricorn; In this dead time, alas, what can I more Than view those fruits which through thy heart I bore? Which sweet contentment yield me for a space, True living pictures of their father's face. O strange effect! now thou art southward gone, I weary grow the tedious day so long; But when thou northward to me shalt return, I wish my Sun may never set, but burn Within the Cancer of my glowing breast, The welcome house of him my dearest guest. Where ever, ever stay, and go not thence, Till nature's sad decree shall call thee hence; Flesh of thy flesh, bone of thy bone, I here, thou there, yet both but one. In the poem, “A Letter to Her Husband, Absent Upon Public Employment”, Anne Bradstreet expresses an intimate and emotional side of her writing and self. In her poem she explains how she misses the presence of her husband who is always away for business. In the poem reveals the setting and the time in line 8-9 when she says, “My Sun is gone so far in's zodiac, whom whilst I 'joyed, nor storms, nor frost I felt”. By saying this she is explaining that it is the summer. She also is comparing the summer and winter seasons with how she misses her husband. She mentions that though her days are short because it is the summer time, her husband’s absence makes her day long like winter days. The tone of the poem overall is that it is romantic and wistful. Throughout the poem, she mentions intimate, sensual, and romantic things with her and her husband. One example is in line 13-14, “n this dead time, alas, what can I more Than view those fruits which through thy heart I bore?’ She is basically saying that it is hard to look at her children because it reminds of her husband. This could also be interpreted at the thought of how her children were conceived. If this is accurate then this is controversial because she is a Puritan. This could lead us to believe that she was a puritan. Overall, the poem’s theme is the how one can be affected by the absence of a loved one. |
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