🖋️ About the Poet: Anne Bradstreet (1612–1672)
Anne Bradstreet was the first published American poet and a Puritan woman living in colonial Massachusetts. Despite living in a male-dominated society, she wrote deeply personal and philosophical poetry. “The Prologue” is from her collection The Tenth Muse (1650), where she reflects on being a woman poet.
📜 Stanza-wise Summary of "The Prologue"
💠 Stanza 1
“To sing of Wars, of Captains, and of Kings...”
Bradstreet begins by saying she will not write about great male heroes, wars, or kings—topics usually reserved for men. She humbly admits her limitations and acknowledges that epic poetry belongs to male poets.
💠 Stanza 2
“My mean Pen are not for such high things...”
She claims her poetic skills are not strong enough for grand subjects. She writes modestly and says her poems are simple, not meant to rival classical or heroic poetry.
💠 Stanza 3
“Let Greeks be Greeks, and women what they are...”
Bradstreet refers to Greek writers and philosophers and says men can continue to dominate the literary world. Women, she says, are often looked down upon even if they write well.
💠 Stanza 4
“Men have precedency and still excel...”
She notes that men are always given preference and are believed to be better at everything, including writing. Even if women show talent, people still think it's luck or coincidence.
💠 Stanza 5
“If what I do prove well, it won't advance...”
Bradstreet says that even if her work is good, it won’t bring her fame. People will say she stole her ideas or was helped by a man. She fears her work will never be taken seriously.
💠 Stanza 6
“Men can do best, and women know it well...”
Here, Bradstreet appears to praise men and acknowledge their superiority in writing. But she uses irony to challenge that idea. She subtly suggests that women should at least be allowed to write small or “lower” forms of poetry.
💠 Stanza 7
“Let such as say our Sex is void of Reason...”
She criticizes those who believe women are not capable of reason or learning. She points out that women are often excluded from intellectual life not because of lack of ability, but because of unfair treatment.
💠 Stanza 8 (Final)
“Give me Thy hand, that I may write with ease...”
In the final stanza, Bradstreet asks for support and recognition. She doesn’t want to take men’s glory—just a small place, a “thyme or parsley wreath,” not a crown. This shows her humility and quiet rebellion at the same time.
🌟 Major Themes
- Gender and inequality – Women are undervalued in literature and life.
- Humility vs. confidence – Bradstreet appears humble but defends her right to write.
- Irony and subtle criticism – She questions male dominance through gentle satire.
- Role of women in Puritan society
✒️ Poetic Devices
- Iambic pentameter – Traditional meter in English poetry.
- Irony – Pretends to accept male superiority to criticize it subtly.
- Allusion – References to Greek history and literature.
- Modesty topos – She uses fake modesty to gain credibility.
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