Anne Bradstreet was an English Puritan woman who immigrated to America in the mid-1600s. Her father was the manager of the estate of the Earl of Lincoln. This meant that Bradstreet would be raised in an upper class manner. She obtained several advantages due to this. The main advantage she had was the chance to receive a quality education. Her formal education was centered on history, various languages, and literature. She married Simon Bradstreet, a fellow Puritan, at the age of sixteen. Her husband assisted in the preparations of the Massachusetts Bay Company, and was the primary reason for the Bradstreets and Dudleys immigration to America. Anne Bradstreet has long been credited with being the first woman in the British North American colonies to have her work published. Her works primarily focused on the world around her and her disapprobation of the roles she was expected to assume within the Puritan society.
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The main poem that solidified her views of the gender roles in her society was “The Prolugue.” It is in this poem that the question is raised, does Bradstreet utilize a hyperbolic tone to hide the true meaning of her words? On the superficial surface it looks as if Bradstreet is accepting the role she has as a woman in the Puritan society, but even at the beginning of the first stanza it is evident that this is not the case. She states that she is unable to write about wars, captains, and kings because “For (her) mean pen are too superior things” (208). This is the first instance when she uses a hyperbolic tone. At first glance this sentence does seem to appear as her accepting her role in society, but due to Bradstreet’s extensive historical background she definitely possesses the potential to write on these types of subjects. Bradstreet knows that she has this potential, but she realizes that if she boldly declares this then she will be considered an abomination to her fellow Puritans. Then, in stanza three, she proceeds to say, “My foolish, broken, blemished Muse so sings” (208). This line in a sense is Bradstreet calling herself lousy and saying that her poetry is not of the best quality. However, this line is in fact extremely brilliant; this line is in perfect iambic pentameter, and has a superb flow. On the surface, it seems like she knows her writing quality isn’t as good as men in her society, but this line vehemently magnifies the underlying hyperbolic tone this poem is immersed in. This example is the greatest illustration of how Bradstreet utilizes a hyperbolic tone to conceal the true intentions of …show more content…
Bradstreet utilizes this technique so that she will not be considered an abomination in order to procure a firm foundation within this new Puritan society. After all, she was married to one of the most distinguished men of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and if the true meaning of her words were to ever come out; then, it would not only have drastic implications on her life, but also the life of her husband and children. Bradstreet would never allow this to happen to them due to her love for her children and husband. This is why Anne Bradstreet utilized a careful approach to this subject by employing a hyperbolic
The main poem that solidified her views of the gender roles in her society was “The Prolugue.” It is in this poem that the question is raised, does Bradstreet utilize a hyperbolic tone to hide the true meaning of her words? On the superficial surface it looks as if Bradstreet is accepting the role she has as a woman in the Puritan society, but even at the beginning of the first stanza it is evident that this is not the case. She states that she is unable to write about wars, captains, and kings because “For (her) mean pen are too superior things” (208). This is the first instance when she uses a hyperbolic tone. At first glance this sentence does seem to appear as her accepting her role in society, but due to Bradstreet’s extensive historical background she definitely possesses the potential to write on these types of subjects. Bradstreet knows that she has this potential, but she realizes that if she boldly declares this then she will be considered an abomination to her fellow Puritans. Then, in stanza three, she proceeds to say, “My foolish, broken, blemished Muse so sings” (208). This line in a sense is Bradstreet calling herself lousy and saying that her poetry is not of the best quality. However, this line is in fact extremely brilliant; this line is in perfect iambic pentameter, and has a superb flow. On the surface, it seems like she knows her writing quality isn’t as good as men in her society, but this line vehemently magnifies the underlying hyperbolic tone this poem is immersed in. This example is the greatest illustration of how Bradstreet utilizes a hyperbolic tone to conceal the true intentions of …show more content…
Bradstreet utilizes this technique so that she will not be considered an abomination in order to procure a firm foundation within this new Puritan society. After all, she was married to one of the most distinguished men of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and if the true meaning of her words were to ever come out; then, it would not only have drastic implications on her life, but also the life of her husband and children. Bradstreet would never allow this to happen to them due to her love for her children and husband. This is why Anne Bradstreet utilized a careful approach to this subject by employing a hyperbolic