1. Anne Bradstreet~ “To My Dear and Loving Husband”
If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let’s so persevere
That when we live no more, we may live ever.

2. Inversion
When the words of a sentence or phrase are out of normal order
This often occurs to maintain the rhyme scheme and/or meter (flow).
Example:
“In silent night when rest I took” (inverted)
“In silent night when I took rest”
(normal)

3. Practice
Each of the following lines is inverted. Write them as they would normally be written.
-Line Line 29
-Line Line 35
-Line Line 40
-Line Line 53
-Line 28

4. Line 7
I-“I, starting up, the light did spy”
N-”I spied the light as I started up”
Line 13
I-”And when I could no longer look”
N-”And when I could look no longer”

5. Line 20
I-”But yet sufficient for us left”
N-”But what is left is sufficient”
Line 21
I-”When by the ruins oft I past”
N-”When I often passed by the ruins”

6. Line 28
I-”And them behold no more shall I”
N-”And I shall behold them no more”
Line 29
I-”Under thy roof no guest shall sit”
N-”No guest shall sit under thy roof”

7. Line 35
I-”In silence ever shall thou lie”
N-”Thou shall lie in silence forever”
Line 40
I-”The arm of flesh didst make thy trust”
N-”Didst make thy trust in the arm of flesh”
Line 53
I-”The world no longer let me love”
N-”No longer let me love the world”

8. Invert the following sentence
The dog ran down the street.
Ms. Sinclair has crazy students.
The computer is very dusty.

9. Invert the following sentence
The dog ran down the street.
Down the street the dog ran
Down the street ran the dog
Ms. Sinclair has crazy students.
Crazy students Ms. Sinclair has
Crazy students has Ms. Sinclair
The computer is very dusty.
Very dusty the computer is
Very dusty is the computer

10. Inversion Poem ASSIGNMENT: Write a poem of at least 10 lines.
Write in couplet form.
Write your rhyme scheme in the right-hand margin
Rhyme scheme aa, bb, cc, etc.
Rhyme schemes can be repetitive.
Use at least three different ones (letters of the alphabet).
Use Inversion at least two times. Underline each example.
Required subjects:
- an irreplaceable treasure that you no longer have OR
-someone you love or who loves you

11. EXAMPLE

12. Just the Video Camera To work I went early one morn, A
No one did I expect to scorn. A
I spent my day, usual it went, B
Things were smooth, in my day was not one dent. B
But I discovered when I came home, C
In my house someone did roam. C
On my door I found the broken lock, D
In my bedroom all over were many a sock. D
Nothing gone could I find, E
He just took my video camera and left all else behind. E