THE POETRY OF ANNE BRADSTREET

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THE POETRYOF ANNE BRADSTREET
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• Upon the Burning of Our House

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LITERARY ELEMENT

• METAPHOR a figure of speech
• that compares or equates two
• seemingly unlike things.

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LITERARY ELEMENT

• EXTENDED METAPHOR to develop
• a metaphor beyond a single line.

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LITERARY ELEMENT

• INFERENCE a general statement
• based on the information in a text.

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LITERARY ELEMENT

• SPEAKER the voice of the poem,
• similar to the narrator in a work of
• prose.

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• Sometimes the speakers voice is
• that of the poet sometimes, it is
• that of a fictional personor even
• a thing.

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LITERARY ELEMENT

• AUTHORS PURPOSE his or her
• intent in writing a literary work.

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AUTHORS PURPOSE

• Authors typically write for one or
• more of the following purposes

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AUTHORS PURPOSE FOR WRITING

1. To persuade
2. To inform
3. To explain
4. To entertain
5. To describe

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• And when I could no longer look,/
• I blest His name that gave and
• took, /That laid my goods now in
• the dust. lines 13-15

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• In the preceeding passage,
• Bradstreet believes that God is
• responsible for all things, good and
• bad, and that she must trust Gods
• will.

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INTERNAL CONFLICT

• Lines 27-36 suggest that the
• speaker is presenting a dialogue or
• debate with herself.

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TRIGGERED BY FIRE

• The speakers thoughts focus on
• the tragic destruction of her
• material possessions.

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CHANGE OF HEART

• In line 37, however, Bradstreet
• chides her own heart, as
• she recalls that true wealth does
• not abide on earth.

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LITERARY ELEMENTMETAPHOR

• Thou hast an house on high erect,
• Framed by that mighty Architect,
• Lines 43-44

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LITERARY ELEMENTMETAPHOR

• The almighty Architect is God.

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EXTENDED METAPHOR

• Bradstreet is describing a heavenly home, built
  by God for her.

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ALLUSION

• In an allusion to Jesus death on
• the cross, Bradstreet explains that
• the home has been purchased and
• paid for.

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SORROWFUL EYES

• Possessions were important to the
• speaker.
• Her sorrowing eyes look over the
• ashes and mourn for all the
• pleasant things.

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• Later, Bradstreet decides that her
• possessions really belong to God
• HE is most important in her life.

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CELESTIAL SHORES

• Bradstreet states that her hope
• and treasure are above, or in
• heaven.

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HEAVENLY HOME

• The speaker suggests that her
• home and possessions are
• important and not her own.

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SUMMARY

• Anne Bradstreet comes to terms
• with the loss of her home and her
• possessions to a fire.

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