Prologue

Prologue

By Anne Bradstreet

To sing of Wars, of Captains, and of Kings,
Of Cities founded, Common-wealths begun,
For my mean Pen are too superior things;
Or how they all, or each their dates have run,
Let Poets and Historians set these forth.
My obscure lines shall not so dim their worth.

But when my wond’ring eyes and envious heart
Great Bartas’ sugar’d lines do but read o’er,
Fool, I do grudge the Muses did not part
‘Twixt him and me that over-fluent store.
A Bartas can do what a Bartas will
But simple I according to my skill.

From School-boy’s tongue no Rhet’ric we expect,
Nor yet a sweet Consort from broken strings,
Nor perfect beauty where’s a main defect.
My foolish, broken, blemished Muse so sings,
And this to mend, alas, no Art is able,
‘Cause Nature made it so irreparable.

Nor can I, like that fluent sweet-tongued Greek
Who lisp’d at first, in future times speak plain.
By Art he gladly found what he did seek,
A full requital of his striving pain.
Art can do much, but this maxim’s most sure:
A weak or wounded brain admits no cure.

i am obnoxious to each carping tongue
Who says my hand a needle better fits.
A Poet’s Pen all scorn I should thus wrong,
For such despite they cast on female wits.
If what I do prove well, it won’t advance,
They’ll say it’s stol’n, or else it was by chance.

But sure the antique Greeks were far more mild,
Else of our Sex, why feigned they those nine
And poesy made Calliope’s own child?
So ‘mongst the rest they placed the Arts divine,
But this weak knot they will full soon untie.
The Greeks did nought but play the fools and lie.

Let Greeks be Greeks, and Women what they are.
Men have precedency and still excel;
It is but vain unjustly to wage war.
Men can do best, and Women know it well.
Preeminence in all and each is yours;
Yet grant some small acknowledgement of ours.

And oh ye high flown quills that soar the skies,
And ever with your prey still catch your praise,
If e’er you deign these lowly lines your eyes,
Give thyme or Parsley wreath, I ask no Bays.
This mean and unrefined ore of mine
Will make your glist’ring gold but more to shine.

Summary of Prologue

• Popularity of “Prologue”: Published back in 1981 in The Complete Works of Anne Bradstreet, “The Prologue” is a satirical poem. It presents the struggles and subjugation of women despite their skills, talents, and aura. Anne wrote this remarkable piece thinking about the ill-treatment women receive in a male-dominated society. The poem has won popularity due to the factual description of patriarchy in Puritan society.
• “Prologue” As a Representative of Injustice: This poem pictures the female role in a patriarchal society. The poet begins this poetic piece with a declaration that this poem is not going to praise the chivalry of Kings, noble events, wars, or other significant matters because she counts herself incapable of this task. She thinks that only men have the skills to discuss great events in their works. Also, she admits that she cannot beat the styles of great writers and poets. Partly because she thinks of herself as low in rank and partly because she wants to use her talents and skills to convey her ideas to the world.
  As the poem continues, she compares her writing to a broken instrument and a schoolboy’s speech just to inform the readers that she accepts her flaws. Her biggest flaw is her gender. Being a woman, she faces a lot of criticism, but instead of taking it to heart, she decides to use it to sharpen her writing skills. Although she praises God, muses, and Greeks, her works do not win approval from the patriarchal writing community. The writer ends this poem with significant advice that having the best male writers does not mean the talents and skills of women should face neglect.
• Major Themes in “Prologue”: Subjugation of women’s rights, patriarchal norms, and love for writing are the major themes of the poem. The writer of the poem shares a deep love for writing, but the patriarchal society does not allow her to reach the level of perfection. She admits that the great historical events and incidents are penned down by men and she adored those great writers as well. But that does not mean that a woman can never be able to write a praiseworthy piece. She admits that her writing may have flaws, but that does not mean that she should give up the idea of writing poetry. She has been a great admirer of male authors and wants to be recognized as a writer among them, believing there should be equality in the literary world.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Prologue

literary devices bring clarity, depth, and richness to the poem. The analysis of the devices used in the poem is as follows.

1. Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “And ever with your prey still catch your praise” and the sound of /o/ in “Nor yet a sweet Consort from broken strings.”
2. Anaphora: It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. Anne Bradstreet has repeated the word “nor” in the third stanza of the poem to emphasize the point, such as;

“Nor yet a sweet Consort from broken strings,
Nor perfect beauty where’s a main defect.”

3. Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;

“But when my wond’ring eyes and envious heart
Great Bartas’ sugar’d lines do but read o’er,
Fool, I do grudge the Muses did not part
‘Twixt him and me that over-fluent store.”

4. Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. The writer has used imagery in this poem, such as; “From School-boy’s tongue no Rhet’ric we expect,”, “Nor can I, like that fluent sweet-tongued Greek” and “A full requital of his striving pain.”
5. Rhetorical Question: Rhetorical question is a question that is not asked to receive an answer; it is just posed to make the point clear. The writer has posed a rhetorical question in the sixth stanza of the poem to emphasize her point, such as “And poesy made Calliope’s own child?”
6. Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. “The poem shows symbols such as praise, complaint, pain, negligence, and chance.

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Prologue

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

1. Diction: The poem shows descriptive diction having rhetorical devices, symbolism, and impressive images.
2. End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. The writer has used end rhyme in this poem, such as; “will/skill”, “sure/cure” and “fits/wits.”
3. Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows ABABAA rhyme Scheme, and this pattern continues till the end.
4. Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are eight stanzas in this poem, with each comprising six verses.
5. Sestet: A sestet is a six-lined stanza borrowed from Italian poetry. The poem is composed of eight sestets.

Quotes to be Used

The following lines are useful to quote when talking about the ability and talent that is a mix of trial and error.

“From School-boy’s tongue no Rhet’ric we expect,
Nor yet a sweet Consort from broken strings,
Nor perfect beauty where’s a main defect.”