Here Follow Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House, July 10, 1666 by Anne Bradstreet Feature Menu Introducing the Poem Literary Focus: The Plain Style Reading Skills: Analyzing Text Structures: Inversion

Here Follow Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House, July 10, 1666 by Anne Bradstreet

Here Follow Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House, July 10, 1666 by Anne Bradstreet We increase our possessions only to the enlargement of our anxieties. —Anna C. Brackett (1836–1911)

Here Follow Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House, July 10, 1666 by Anne Bradstreet In this poem, the speaker awakens to shouts of “Fire!” She escapes from her burning house and then watches the flames consume it. The shock of losing her house causes her to reflect on what truly matters to her. [End of Section]

Here Follow Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House, July 10, 1666 Literary Focus: The Plain Style Puritan writers favored the plain style—a way of writing that stresses simplicity clarity of expression the use of everyday words Puritan writings may now seem hard to read, but to readers in the 1600s, they sounded simple and direct.

Here Follow Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House, July 10, 1666 Literary Focus: The Plain Style Although Bradstreet uses figurative language in her poetry, her writing is still influenced by strong, simple Puritan style and diction. “Here stood that trunk, and there that chest, There lay that store I counted best.” [End of Section]

Here Follow Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House, July 10, 1666 Reading Skills: Analyzing Text Structures: Inversion Inversion is the reversal of the normal word order in a sentence or phrase. Poets often use inversion to accommodate the demands of meter and rhyme. Normal order My pleasant things lie in ashes, And I shall behold them no more. Inversion “My pleasant things in ashes lie, And them behold no more shall I.” [End of Section]

Here Follow Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House, July 10, 1666 Background The Puritans Although the Puritans were industrious and often acquired worldly goods, they considered it sinful to place too much pride on personal possessions. What emotional conflict might Puritan poet Anne Bradstreet have felt about losing her home to a fire? [End of Section]

Quickwrite

Here Follow Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House, July 10, 1666 Quickwrite Make the Connection This poem is a response to a terrible personal loss. In trying to work through her loss, this poet portrays an internal debate, a dialogue between herself and her soul. Notice the points at which Bradstreet questions her thoughts and emotions. Note also your own responses. Before you read, take some notes on what your response might be if all the material things you hold dear went up in flames. [End of Section]

Meet the Writer

Here Follow Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House, July 10, 1666 Meet the Writer Born into a Puritan family in England in 1612, Anne Bradstreet married when she was about sixteen. She and her husband immigrated to New England, where she raised eight children and found time to write poetry. In 1650, her brother-in-law published her poems in England without consulting her. The book’s surprising success encouraged her to keep writing. More About the Writer [End of Section]