Verses upon the Burning of our House, July 10th, 1666
by Anne Bradstreet
In silent night when rest I took,
For sorrow near I did not look,
I wakened was with thund’ring noise
And piteous shrieks of dreadful voice.
That fearful sound of “fire” and “fire,”
Let no man know is my Desire.
I, starting up, the light did spy,
And to my God my heart did cry
To straighten me in my Distress
And not to leave me succourless.
Then, coming out, behold a space
The flame consume my dwelling place.
And when I could no longer look,
I blest His name that gave and took,
That laid my goods now in the dust.
Yea, so it was, and so ‘twas just.
It was his own, it was not mine,
Far be it that I should repine;
He might of all justly bereft
But yet sufficient for us left.
When by the ruins oft I past
My sorrowing eyes aside did cast
And here and there the places spy
Where oft I sate and long did lie.
Here stood that trunk, and there that chest,
There lay that store I counted best.
My pleasant things in ashes lie
And them behold no more shall I.
Under thy roof no guest shall sit,
Nor at thy Table eat a bit.
No pleasant talk shall ‘ere be told
Nor things recounted done of old.
No Candle e’er shall shine in Thee,
Nor bridegroom’s voice e’er heard shall be.
In silence ever shalt thou lie,
Adieu, Adieu, all’s vanity.
Then straight I ‘gin my heart to chide,
And did thy wealth on earth abide?
Didst fix thy hope on mould’ring dust?
The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?
Raise up thy thoughts above the sky
That dunghill mists away may fly.
Thou hast a house on high erect
Frameed by that mighty Architect,
With glory richly furnished,
Stands permanent though this be fled.
It’s purchased and paid for too
By Him who hath enough to do.
A price so vast as is unknown,
Yet by His gift is made thine own;
There’s wealth enough, I need no more,
Farewell, my pelf, farewell, my store.
The world no longer let me love,
My hope and treasure lies above.
Summary of Verses upon the Burning of Our House
- Popularity of “Verses upon the Burning of our House”: The poem is based on Anne Bradstreet’s personal experience. She is one of the great American poets. The poem Verses upon the Burning of our House about her faith and destruction. The poem speaks about the traumatic loss of the speaker’s home and most of her valuable possessions in a fire accident. It also illustrates how she accepts this incident and moves on in life. Apart from the destruction, the poem encourages resignation to God’s will.
- “Verses upon the Burning of our House” As a Representative of Sorrow: The poem is about the speaker’s loss and her developing reaction toward it. The poem begins when the speaker is ready to sleep without expecting any sorrow. Unfortunately, thundering noises of fire wakes her up, and she rushes out of the house. She watched when flames consumed her home. She cries out to God, requesting not to leave her alone in despair. At first, she is shattered, but soon, she throws off her fears and thanks to God for taking only worldly things, leaving her with all she required for life: her family and promise of heaven.
She fondly recalls the things caught up in fire and regrets that she will not be able to live in the same house to enjoy the company of her friends. Also, she recalls her most treasured boxes and all the lovely things that turned into ashes. Despite this fatal incident, she remains hopeful, thinking that a better reward awaits her in heaven. - Major Themes in “Verses upon the Burning of our House”: Faith and acceptance are the major themes of this poem. The poem narrates a tragic incident that destroyed her home. It represents the internal struggle of the speaker whose earthly house turned into ashes. However, she consoles herself, thinking that God will surely grant her a permanent house in heaven, which will neither be destroyed nor burnt. Although she recalls material things that she loses as well as the comfort and warmth of her home, she believes that God, despite His grandeur, has reserved a beautiful home for her in heaven. It is through this simple incident the poet makes the readers understand that we should keep our faith in God.
Analysis of Literary Devices in “Verses upon the Burning of Our House”
Literary devices are very important elements of any literary text. They bring richness to the text and helps the readers understand the thematic strands. Anne Bradstreet has also made this poem superb by using figurative language. Here is the analysis of some literary devices used in this poem.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of /i/ in “With glory richly furnished” and the sound of /oo/ in “By Him who hath enough to do.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line. For example, succession such as the sound of /l/ in “The world no longer let me love”.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of /t/ in “Framed by that mighty Architect” and the sound of /r/ in “Nor bridegroom’s voice e’er heard shall be”.
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break and continues to the next line. For example,
“It’s purchased and paid for too
By Him who hath enough to do.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “The flame consume my dwelling place”, “Under thy roof no guest shall sit” and “Stands permanent though this be fled.”
- Rhetorical Question: Rhetorical question is a question that is not asked to receive an answer; it is just posed to make the point clear. Throughout the poem, there are rhetorical questions to put emphasize the poet’s point of God’s plan and trust. For example,
“And did thy wealth on earth abide?
Didst fix thy hope on mould’ring dust?
The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?”
- Symbolism: Symbolism is a use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings different from their literal meanings. Here, “house” symbolizes comfort and warmth and earthy treasure. The “fire” is the symbol of destruction and loss.
Analysis of Poetic Devices in “Verses upon the Burning of Our House”
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. For example; “do/too”, “more/store” and “dust/trust.”
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows the AABB rhyme scheme, and this pattern continues until the end.
- Rhyming Couplet: There are two constructive lines of verse in a rhyming couplet, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme. There are twenty-seven rhyming in this poem.
Quotes to be Used
The lines stated below are useful for the occasion of a speech given about the blessings of God and also a reminder to avoid loving material things.
“There’s wealth enough, I need no more,
Farewell, my pelf, farewell, my store.
The world no longer let me love,
My hope and treasure lies above.”