Here Follow some Verses Upon the Burning of our house, July 10th,1666

who is the author ?

Anne Bradstreet

Tone

Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

Analyze A popular verse from the Book of Genesis is "Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return." Where in the poem can you find allusions to this verse? How do these allusions relate to the allusion in line 36? Support your response with evidence from the text.

Bradstreet says her goods are " now in the dust" then, she describes her belonging as "moldering dust" this underscores the reality that everything is temporary.

Interpret A metaphor is a direct comparison of two unlike things that does not use the word like or as. In lines 43-48, Bradstreet uses a metaphor to make a comparison to something she holds dear. What two things does she compare, and what do they stand for? Support your response with evidence from the text.

Bradstreet's " mighty architect " is a metaphor for Jesus, who both built and paid her future " house on high" or her place in heaven.

Paraphrase How would you paraphrase lines 19-20 of the poem: "He might of all justly bereft, / But yet sufficient for us left"? Support your response with evidence from the text.

God is entitled to take everything away but he will meet our needs.

stanza 4

God is entitled to take everything away but he will meet our needs. she jumps forward in time to the moments in which she passed by the ruins which were her house. when she sees what is left of her home she does feel sorrowful. her eyes mover over the areas in which she used to sit and lie.

Stanza 1

In the first set of lines the speaker begins by stating that it was on a " silent night" that the events of the poem took place. She has taken her "rest" and was not expecting any bad thing to happen. The speaker , who is Anne Bradstreet herself was woken in the night to a "thundering noise" and terrible screaming. Outside on the street there are people running around yelling that there is a " fire."

Infer What does the speaker value more than the house? How did this help her accept the loss of her house by fire? Support your response with evidence from the text.

More than her house, Bradstreet valued her faith in god. this faith helped her accept her loss and recognize that material possessions are relatively unimportant.

What is the genre?

Poetry: it uses diction, tone, & structure to create a distinctive voice. it often uses figurative language and allusions to deepen the meaning. it mainly is written to express feelings and beliefs of the writer.

What is Voice?

Refers to the Poet's unique use of language that enables a reader to perceive the writer's feelings, attitudes, and personality.

Stanza 2

The speaker experiences a terror which makes her turn to god. she immediately cries out her "heart" help form above. she hopes that god will be able to strengthen her in her "sadness". the speaker does not want to become consumed by fear and be left alone to deal with what's about to come. she leaves her home and watches from the street as her home actually burns down.

Diction

Wha words does the writer chose, and what images stand out.

inverted syntax

a sentence or structure where the expected order of words is reversed

how dose the diction of contrasting in the lines convey the urgency of the situation ?

contrasts like " silent night" and thundering noise" and" piteous shrieks" and" fearful sound "show that there is a disturbance at night and they convey sorrow.

Stanza 3

eventually the speaker is devastated by the loss she " could no longer look." Now the speaker tries to reorient her thoughts although she is saddened by the loss of her passions , she thanks god fro the fact that she even had them in the first place. it is due to him that she lived happily only hours before. the next ones portray contentment with her situation which is the main theme of the poem. she is not sobbing over what has happen , there is nothing she can do about it. her belongings and " dwelling place" were not really owned by her anyway. they were God's from the begging. she does not want to complain as god allowed her to survive physically unharmed.

structure

how long are lines and stanzas and how they impact the meaning.

Stanza 9

in the last lines she describes the home-made by god to be beyond price. it is not something which can be thought or saved for. one must work throughout life to be given a place there. the final Ines of the poem allow the speaker to show her final farewell to what she knew before. she is ready to forget about the past and to refocus herself on the home which waits for her in heaven. the " gift" given to her by god is all she needs to get through life. she no longer cares about materialistic and earthly things. her life as well as her real home is above in heaven.

Allusion

is a direct or indirect reference to a person, place, event, or literally work that the poet believes the reader will know.

what does her house symbolize?

it symbolizes safety , security, warmth, family, and control.

Draw Conclusions Use details from the poem to explain what you learn about the speaker's feelings and beliefs. How does the voice change over the course of the poem? Support your response with evidence from the text.

lines reveal a strong faith in god" when she immediately goes to god for help " and suggest a happy and sociable daily life" house on gin erect" . the voice changes form alarmed and sorrowful to accepting and hopeful.

examples of inverted syntax

my pleasant thing in ashes lie. and then behold no more shall I then straight I gin my heart to chide

Stanza 7

the following lines bring her out of her depression as she scolds herself for feeling so sad about her loss. she asks herself what they really did for her the speaker knows, in the larger scheme of things, they were worth nothing. she chooses to raise her own thoughts above the street and sky. she is rededicating herself to loving god more than to those things she previously owned.

how is the voice or choice of words different in the end from the begging?

the poem began with words expressing fear and defeat but now they express hope and even triumph.

Stanza 8

the poem draws toward its conclusion in these lines. she describes the tue home that waits her in the sky. it is a "house on high erect", made by god himself. he has" richly furnished" in preparation fro the day the speaker passes away.

why do you think the author includes an allusion to the story of job?

the poet believes that the reader knows this attitude in which she it underscores how much she has lost. it reminds her that other have lost their belongings and not lost their faith. this hello the reader infer that she values her faith more than her belongings.

Stanza 5

the speaker recalls that trunk and that chest where she used to sit in her home. these are all physical parts of her home, things which are easily replaced. she continues on to lay out all the things she will never experience again. the speaker states how her " pleasant things" lie in "ashes" and she will no longer go nd look at them. there is nothing left for her to see. additionally, the home she used to live in will no longer play host to " guest" at the table.

Stanza 6

there will be more " pleasant talk" or retelling of past experiences. she mourns for the future she intended to have in the home. Bradstreet not only expresses her attachment to her home, but also to the memories that occurred within it. the speaker says " adieu" to her home inn inn thirty six. she is attempting to purge herself of unhappy memories and make a Lena break from what is was once her home. these emotions she has been experiencing are all temporary." she knows she shouldn't be mourning objects.

what is the purpose?

to encourage herself in a difficult situation

paraphrase

to restate in other words

give to examples of metaphors.:

" a house on gin erect" compares her house to a place in heaven " mighty architect" compares god to an architect that created all living and nonliving. these help emphasize that her eternal home is with god.

Give an example of allusion.

" alls vanity" ( all is temporary and meaningless)is an example of allusion to the book of Ecclesiastes in the bible. it describes how materialistic things have on value and that they are meaningless.

Theme ?

1. there is a life beyond this one. 2. don't be too attached to materialistic things in life.