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Sophia Chen
Dr. Matias
American Literature Year 12:30
September 17, 2007
The Prologue
by Anne Bradstreet
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To sing of wars, of captains, and of kings,
Of cities founded, commonwealths begun,
For my mean pen are too superior things:
Or how they all, or each their dates have run
5 Let poets and historians set these forth,
My obscure lines shall not so dim their worth.
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But when my wond’ring eyes and envious heart
Great Bartas sugared lines do but read o’er,
Fool I do grudge the Muses did not part
10 ‘Twixt him and me that overfluent store;
A Bartas can do what a Bartas will
But simple I according to my skill.
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From schoolboy’s tongue no rhet’ric we expect
Nor yet a sweet consort from broken strings,
15 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
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Nor can I, like that fluent sweet tongued Greek,
20 Who lisped at first, in future times speak plain.
By art he gladly found what he did seek,
A full requital of his striving pain.
Art can do much, but this maxim’s most sure:
A weak or wounded brain admits no cure.
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25 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,
30 They’ll say it’s stol’n, or else it was by chance.
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But sure the antique Greeks were far more mild,
Else of our sex, why feigned they those nine
And poesy made Calliope’s own child;
So ‘mongst the rest they placed the arts divine:
35 But this weak know they will full soon untie.
The Greeks did nought, but play the fools and lie.
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Let Greeks be Greeks, and women what they are;
Men have precedency and still excel,
It is but vain unjustly to wage war;
40 Men can do best, and women know it well
Preeminence in all and each is yours;
Yet grant some small acknowledgment of ours.
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And oh ye high flown quills that soar the skies,
And ever with your prey still catch your praise,
45 If e’er you deign these lowly lines your eyes
Give thyme or parsley wreath, I ask no bays;
This mean and unrefined ore of mine
Will make your glist’ring gold but more to shine.
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Anne Bradstreet: A Female Poet, A Challenger to Men
In “The Prologue,” Anne Bradstreet writes a poem that seeks to understand her role as a
female poet in a male-dominated Puritan society. She wonders how her poetry will be perceived
by male readers and consequently humbles herself within the context of the poem by indicating
her unworthiness in writing about topics usually written by men. Yet, through the subtext,
Bradstreet craftily challenges men and proves her poetic prowess. With the use of satire, iambic
pentameter, alliteration, apologia, and verbal irony, Anne Bradstreet produces a powerful poem
that displays her creative talents and raises questions about the role of women in a patriarchal
society.
“The Prologue” serves as an introduction to Anne Bradstreet’s poems under a collection
of her poetry titled The Tenth Muse. This poem functions by explaining to her audience the
topics her poetry will address. Anne Bradstreet realizes that people will be prejudiced and
skeptical of her poetry because she is a woman; she anticipates the fact that being a female poet
will challenge the gender roles within her society, since poets of her time were primarily men.
Therefore, Bradstreet utilizes her poetic skills of apologia, verbal irony, and satire to avoid
threatening the male audience. However, she is still able to subtlety address her views on the
treatment of women in a patriarchal society. The style of the poem is written in iambic
pentameter, a poetic meter of usually ten syllables within a line, emphasizing every other syllable.
Bradstreet divides the poem into eight stanzas, each of which consists of six lines. The poem has
an ABABCC rhyme scheme for each stanza, otherwise known as a sesta rima. The sesta rima
can also be referred to as the Venus and Adonis stanza, in allusion to Shakespeare’s narrative
poem that is written in the same poetic format.
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In this poem, the narrator, Anne Bradstreet, constantly evaluates her skills as a writer.
Because she does not want to directly offend her male audience, Bradstreet writes ambivalently.
For instance, Bradstreet writes about her ineptitude as a poet in several stanzas but then reassures
her readers of her talent as a writer in succeeding stanzas. Apologia is certainly evident
throughout the entire poem, particularly in stanzas one, two, three, four, seven, and eight. In the
first stanza, Bradstreet writes that songs of “wars, of captains, and of kings” (line 1) are too
superior for her modest, “mean” (line 3) pen to write about. According to the Oxford English
Dictionary, “mean” can be defined as “humble” or “intermediate.” Bradstreet purposely displays
humility in order to avoid offending her audience.
Instead, she emphasizes male dominance by writing why she chooses not to delve into
topics usually written by the opposite gender. At the contextual level, Bradstreet tries to convey
a portrait of herself as a writer with limited skills. She states that certain topics should be written
by “poets and historians” (line 5) and not by someone like herself, who would ruin such revered
subjects. Bradstreet also uses parallelism and alliteration, more specifically consonance, to
elevate the male status. Her usage of parallelism when mentioning the topics “of wars, of
captains . . .of kings, Of cities” (lines 1-2), as well as the emphasis in the “k” sound, particularly
in words such as captains, kings, and commonwealths, accentuate their importance. There is also
a constantly recurring “s” sound within the entire first stanza, such as in “sing,” “captains,”
“kings,” “cities,” “commonwealths,” “superior,” “things,” “dates,” “poets,” “historians,” “set,”
“obscure,” “lines,” “shall,” and “so.” By using alliteration and emphasizing the “k” and “s”
sounds, Bradstreet stresses the topics men write about. The “s” sound also allows the audience
to pay attention to words that Bradstreet feels are her “flaws.” For instance, the “s” sounds
located in line six make words such as “obscure” more pronounced. By definition, “obscure”
means “unenlightened, benighted; difficult to understand, and not clearly expressed.” Anne
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Bradstreet is apologizing for her lack of clarity. However, she is also using a different definition
of obscure to convey a subtler thought. “Obscure” can also be defined as “having a hidden or
veiled meaning.” If readers interpret her lines through this definition, then Anne Bradstreet is
implying that her poetry has meanings that cannot be found at the superficial level; the truths of
her thoughts can only be revealed by delving deeply into her poem. There is also an ambiguous
pronoun within the same line. The “their” in line six can be referring to two different subjects—
it could represent the topics men write about or the “poets and historians” Bradstreet mentions.
Replacing the “their” with one of the two subjects can create different interpretations. If “their”
represents the wars, the captains, and the kings, then Bradstreet is saying that her writing will
diminish the value of those topics. In contrast, if “their” represents the poets and historians, then
Bradstreet is implying that her writing skills will make the works of male authors seem inferior;
in other words, her poetry will “dim” their writing and make hers shine. Bradstreet suggests that
she chooses not to write about wars, captains, and kings because she does not want to make the
male writers look less competent. Anne Bradstreet craftily plays with various word usages and
definitions to convey multiple interpretations.
Indeed, it is quite extraordinary how Bradstreet implies thoughts that contradict with
what she writes at the contextual level. For instance, in the first stanza, when Anne Bradstreet
writes about “superior things” (line 3), she is creating something similar to an oxymoron. If
certain objects or subjects are considered “superior,” they would not be referred to as “things.”
Objects with value or importance are usually not categorized into a general collection of
“things,” a word that does not contain any sort of distinction or significance. Thus, Bradstreet
may actually be ridiculing the topics male authors are fond of writing, implying that such
subjects are irrelevant to the present. In line four, when Bradstreet writes about the dates that
have run, she is writing about the connection wars, captains, kings, founded cities, and
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commonwealths have with history. There is irony because Bradstreet believes she should leave
historical events to the poets and historians even though she is a poet herself. Readers who
notice this minute detail will realize the unequal opportunities male writers have over female
writers during the Puritan era. Although Bradstreet is a poet, the patriarchal society in which she
lives places restrictions on what she can say. While men can use their “quills” to “soar the
skies,” (line 43), the Puritan society limits the topics women can write about.
However, even though Anne Bradstreet will not write about history, she still perceives
herself as different, if not better, than other male writers. At the contextual level, Bradstreet
claims that she is unfit to be amongst the likes of male poets and historians, but at the subtextual
level, her aloofness from the male writers brings a renewed sense of individuality. Bradstreet is
expressing her opinion that historical topics are outdated and for authors of a bygone era. By
contrasting herself with other male authors, she is offering a fresh, unique change—a form of
self-reliance. Bradstreet also conveys a sense of independence and strength because she chooses
to write based on her personal predilections. This idea is in contrast to the subservient nature
Puritan women are usually characterized by.
In the next stanza, apologia and verbal irony are implemented to show contradictory ideas.
Bradstreet is envious of the way Bartas, a French author admired by the Puritans, can write with
such skill. She grudges the Muses because they did not “part ‘twixt him and [herself] that
overfluent store” (line 10). Because “part” can be defined as “splitting or dividing up
something,” Bradstreet is disappointed she could not receive an equal share of the Muses’
blessings. Again, Bradstreet elevates the idea of male dominance by writing that her talents are
not even half of Bartas’, who is a male writer. The last two lines of the second stanza, lines 11-
12, therefore express Bradstreet’s resignation of her limitations as a writer since she can only
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write using the “mediocre” skill she possesses. Once more, Bradstreet is belittling her skill as a
poet by comparing herself with Bartas, a man whom many Puritans admire.
However, at the subtextual level, Bradstreet continues to convey a sense of independence
and self-assertion. By choosing to write based on her own perspective and with her particular
skills, Bradstreet is less likely to follow the standards set by men. The first word of line nine,
“fool,” serves as an entendre. Who exactly is the “fool” Bradstreet addresses? Is the fool herself,
or is it actually Bartas? Could the fool even be addressed to the readers of her poetry,
particularly the male audience? By placing “fool” at the beginning of the line, there is a sense
that Anne Bradstreet is addressing another person. If the “fool” Bradstreet refers to is Bartas,
then she is complaining that the Muses gave Bartas unfair advantages. Contrary to what most of
her audience think, Bradstreet may not be praising Bartas. Through subtle diction and syntax,
Bradstreet actually ridicules Bartas, but she does not criticize him directly because she would
infuriate many readers.
Furthermore, Bradstreet does not say she receives nothing from the Muses; she just says
that the Muses do not divide their gifts equally. This implies that Bradstreet does consider
herself blessed by the Muses to some extent; she does believe in her talent as a writer, and yet,
Bradstreet still feels that the Muses should treat her and Bartas fairly. She holds a grudge against
the Muses because she thinks she deserves to be Bartas’ equal. The allusion to Bartas functions
to create a link between the great French writer and herself. By superficially praising Bartas’
talents, Bradstreet is looking for her audience’s approval, but she also subtlety implies that she
possesses the same talents that Bartas has.
In stanza three, Bradstreet reverts back to a humbler tone. From lines 13-15, a repetition
of negative words, such as “no” and “nor,” emphasizes Bradstreet’s incapabilities. Anne
Bradstreet writes that rhetoric cannot be expected from a schoolboy, “sweet consort,” cannot
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come from “broken strings,” and “perfect beauty” is impossible in an object with a striking
defect. All of these examples of failing to achieve perfection are metaphors for herself. Just like
the schoolboy, the broken string, or the defect, Bradstreet “claims” that she cannot achieve
greatness. This idea continues in the next line when alliteration in the words “broken” (line 16)
and “blemished” (line 16) emphasize her negative traits. By the time the poem reaches lines 17-
18, Anne Bradstreet expresses resignation because she believes nature has made her incapable of
repairing or improving her skills as a writer.
Yet, this brings up an important question: What is the definition of “nature” used in line
18? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, there are several definitions for “nature,” one
defined as “the senses relating to physical or bodily power” and another defined as “the inherent
dominating power by which character or action is determined, directed, or controlled.” With
such varying definitions, is Anne Bradstreet’s “irreparable” (line 18) art a result of her own
physical and mental limitations, or is it a result of the dominating patriarchal society she lives in?
Anne Bradstreet may be insinuating that her talents are unable to improve because she is a
female in a male-dominated society. The “natural” ways or structural orders of the Puritans
confine women to domestic duties like housekeeping. Bradstreet uses the subtext to censure the
patriarchal society for limiting a woman’s chances of improving or expanding her talents.
When Bradstreet compares herself to a singing, “foolish, broken, blemished Muse” (line
16), she indicates her ineptitude as a poet. However, the fact that she equates herself with a
Muse who can sing suggests her confidence in her competency. After all, the nine Muses are
Greek goddesses known for their prowess in the arts and sciences. If Bradstreet were not
confident in herself as a poet, she would not even compare herself to the Muses. Once again,
Bradstreet’s ability to craftily use words creates ideas that conflict at the contextual and
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subtextual levels: although she claims to be modest, Bradstreet questions the unequal treatment
society imposes on women and proves her literary talent.
Such conflicting ideas continue in the fourth stanza when Bradstreet alludes to
Demosthenes, an ancient Greek who initially has a speech impediment but becomes one of the
most famous orators of Greece. Bradstreet writes about Demosthenes to contrast his situation
with hers. Although Demosthenes can improve his speaking, Bradstreet cannot improve her
writing because she possesses a “weak or wounded brain [that] admits no cure” (line 24). There
is verbal irony in this line because if her brain were “weak or wounded,” she would not be able
to write an elegantly crafted poem that rivals those of men. Bradstreet intentionally raises
questions about the causes of her weakness. She uses humility to garner attention from male
readers, but at the same time, she implies that the patriarchal society inhibits her progress for
improving herself as a writer.
Anne Bradstreet’s belief in the powerlessness of women as a result of male dominance is
most evident in stanza five, which is more direct and contains a greater sense of frustration. The
poet uses the word, “obnoxious” (line 25) to describe her feelings whenever a “carping tongue”
(line 25) tells her that she is better suited for holding a needle instead of holding a pen. The
Oxford English Dictionary defines “obnoxious” as “being subject to authority or power to
another; submissive; subject, liable, exposed, open to punishment or censure; offensive,
objectionable, odious, and highly disagreeable.” It can be inferred that the carping tongues come
primarily from men, who believe that a women’s role is centered on the home and her family.
These men are enforcing the “cult of domesticity,” the concept that women should maintain
separate spheres from men. When Bradstreet writes that she is “obnoxious” to “carping tongues,”
she is using various definitions. First, she is showing her powerlessness in the face of men. On
the other hand, because Bradstreet firmly believes in equal treatment for women, she is also
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expressing her disagreement with the “carping tongues.” Bradstreet uses an exasperated tone to
chastise her male readers for treating women so unfairly. She emphasizes “poet’s pen” (line 27)
through alliteration to establish herself as a qualified poet and to emphasize her desire to
disprove the conceptions men have on women. Bradstreet believes that men often underestimate
female intelligence. As a poet, Anne Bradstreet attempts to contradict them, but she also realizes
that if she succeeds, she will be accused of stealing ideas or being lucky. Such ideas emphasize
the little power women have in a patriarchal society; when women excel, it is not based on their
personal accomplishments but rather from “dumb luck.” Bradstreet conveys a sense of
hopelessness for the women in the Puritan society and consequently makes her readers reflect on
the disparities between the two genders.
Anne Bradstreet also claims that the Greeks are not as gender biased as the Puritans
because the Greeks created the nine Muses, who are female goddesses. She makes the logical
argument that male poets seek divine inspiration from Calliope, the goddess of poetry. She
alludes to the Classics to suggest that because women created the arts and sciences, they should
not be denigrated and should be treated with more respect.
However, knowing that she would receive enormous criticism for defying the rigid
standards of Puritan society, Bradstreet averts sparking outrage from her male audience by
incorporating their perspectives into her poetry. Although she says that the Muses are women,
she counters her own argument by expressing the ideas the men in her society may have, which
is that the female Muses are made up and simply outright lies. Bradstreet tries to amend some of
the offence she creates in her poem; she deliberately refutes her own argument by using male
ideologies of women—and yet, this is ironic because Puritans are well-versed in the Classics.
By suggesting that the Greeks lied about the Muses, Anne Bradstreet deliberately goes against
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the Puritans’ admiration for the Classics; she leaves the Puritans questioning about the validity of
the ancient Greeks and their stories of the Muses.
At the denotative level of stanza seven, Bradstreet continues with her progression of
accepting a woman’s fate. Her tone conveys her “acceptance” of male “precedency” (line 38),
which is defined as “superiority and primacy.” She writes that it is futile to “wage war” (line 39)
on gender issues and succumbs to the “fact” that men are better. However, she still asks men to
give some small acknowledgement to the female sex.
Once again, Bradstreet relies on apologia in her poetry to convey the feelings of
“capitulation.” Subtextually, however, there is still evidence of Bradstreet’s argument for
equality between men and women. In line 37, Bradstreet writes about letting “Greeks be Greeks,
and women what they are” (line 37) to resolve any disputes she creates from her previous stanzas.
Anne Bradstreet wants people to perceive Greeks as highly cultured people. Similarly,
Bradstreet wants women to be perceived respectfully; she wants women to be who they are
without being restrained by men. She is not saying she wants men to continue treating women
lowly; on the contrary, she wants women to be able to express themselves freely. Bradstreet is
urging the audience to let women be who they are, to let women form their own unique identities
and roles. The following line about male precedence is a fact in Anne Bradstreet’s patriarchal
society, but there are no instances when Bradstreet believes men merit such unequally high
regard. Furthermore, she is sarcastic and insincere when describing men as the “superior”
gender. Anne Bradstreet does not truly believe males are the gender that “can do best” (line 40),
so even though she seems resigned, she is actually still resisting female subservience.
Bradstreet recognizes that male writers have unlimited boundaries to write whatever they
want, but she asks them to consider her words and her thoughts; she does not expect to receive
bays, laurel leaves used to crown great poets. However, Bradstreet writes that if men were to
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acknowledge her “unrefined” (line 47) work, they would be letting the works of their own gender
shine like “glist’ring gold” (line 48). Bradstreet is essentially asking males to notice female
accomplishments. Although she describes her poem as “lowly lines” to convey humility and
elevate her male audience, Bradstreet primarily wants males to consider women as accomplished
humans, too. Anne Bradstreet knows complete reformation of a patriarchal society is impossible,
but she asks her male readers to at least acknowledge women for their accomplishments.
Throughout “The Prologue,” Anne Bradstreet cleverly disguises her beliefs about the role
of women in a patriarchal society. Instead of being direct in her opinions and castigating her
male audience, she uses a combination of Horacian satire, verbal irony, and apologia to bring
about contradictions and raise questions. Her constant apologia for her “unrefined” work may
seem humorous and satisfying to her male audience, but it is marked with verbal irony by the
fact that Anne Bradstreet’s poetry is, indeed, cleverly and eloquently written. Bradstreet
humbles herself but proves her mastery with language. She continuously shifts between
chastising her male audience and praising them to avoid arousing anger. Thus, like Horacian
satire, she treads the middle path without extremely offending or disgustingly flattering her
readers; she finds a balance to address an issue that holds importance to her and to society. Anne
Bradstreet proves to the males of the Puritan society that she can write competently. She proves
to men that women should be equal and should deserve to be treated with respect. In the end,
Anne Bradstreet, a Puritan woman living in a male-dominated society, proves her talents as the
first American female poet and sets the stage for other women writers to come. In the end, Anne
Bradstreet is the poet who shines like glist’ring gold.