1. “To My Dear and Loving Husband”
Anne Bradstreet

2. What details suggest the intensity of Anne Bradstreet’s love for her husband?
“I prize thy love more than whole mines of
gold
Or all the riches that the East doth hold”
(Bradstreet 35).
“My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee, give
recompense” (Bradstreet 35).

3. Cite three lines from the same poem that suggest that Bradstreets’ love was mutual
“If ever two were one, then surely we.”
“Then while we live, in love let’s so persevere
That when we live no more, we may live
ever.”
Persevere: here

4. Where does imagery contrast material wealth with spiritual wealth?
“I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.”
Material Wealth:
Gold
Riches
Spiritual Wealth:
Repay
Reward

5. What Puritan belief does the final couplet assert?
“The while we live, in love let’s so persevere
That when we live no more, we may live
ever.”
Marriages that endure are rewarded in afterlife.

6. Upon the Burning of Our House July 10th, 1666
Anne Bradstreet

7. Identify three specific examples of Bradstreet’s deep sense of loss.
Literature focused on a deep sense of loss often focuses on favorite places and specific objects.
“…that trunk…” (Line 25)
“…that chest…” (Line 25)
“Under thy roof no guest shall sit…” (Line 29)
“No pleasant tale shall e’er be told” (Line 31).
“No candle e’er shall shine in thee,
Nor bridegroom’s voice e’er heard shall be”
(Lines 33-34).

8. In lines what three things does Anne Bradstreet do to warn herself against her affection for worldly goods?
Chides herself
To scold mildly; reprimand
Questions earthly wealth
Raises her thoughts above the sky

9. Literary Element: Allusion
A reference to a person, a place, an event, or a literary work that a writer expects a reader to recognize.
Where does the following allusion exist in the poem:
Christian admonishment to build treasures in heaven rather than on earth.
“Didst fix thy hope on mold’ring dust?
The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?
Raise up thy thoughts above the sky
That dunghill mists away may fly” (Lines 39-42).

10. Bradstreet’s Rhythmic Pattern
Iambic couplets

11. Writing and Responding to Literature
A poet often reveals his or her feelings by means of contrast; for example, by contrasting feelings of sorrow and joy or of pride and humility. In your own words, describe the contrast Anne Bradstreet makes between her feeling of distress and her feeling of serenity over the burning of her house.