1. Poetry Worksheet “In the Beginning”
Anne Bradstreet
Poetry Worksheet
“In the Beginning”

2. “To My Dear and Loving Husband”
Which lines from “To My Dear and Loving Husband” compare love to the ownership of physical wealth and property?

3. What does the word “ought” in line 8 communicate?
Either “anything” or “expression of duty.”

4. What does that tell us about the Puritans?

5. The last line of the poem says that they love each other so much that even in heaven they will still be married and in love. How does that contradict the Puritan belief system?

6. “Verses Upon the Burning of Our House, July 10, 1666”
Who is the “mighty Architect”?
God, who builds a mansion in heaven for those who are saved

7. What is the difference between the “house on high” and Bradstreet’s house that just burned?

8. Why does she decide that she doesn’t love the world any longer
Why does she decide that she doesn’t love the world any longer? Who or what does she love instead?

9. What does this reveal about Puritan beliefs and values?