Draw Connections: “The Author to Her Book” and “Before the Birth of One of Her Children”

Draw Connections: “The Author to Her Book” and “Before the Birth of One of Her Children”

In these two poems, Bradstreet reflects on the perils of childbirth—both literal and metaphorical. The poems have much to tell us about the lives of women in the seventeenth century. Giving birth to a child was joyous, as we would expect, but due to high mortality for both infants and mothers, it could also cause great anxiety. While motherhood was well within the acceptable roles for women, other kinds of creation, including writing, were generally viewed as out-of-the-ordinary and even inappropriate. Study the annotated texts of the two poems, The Author to Her Book and Before the Birth of One of Her Children, then answer the following questions about these two views on the role of motherhood.

  1. Compare the tones of “The Author to Her Book” and “Before the Birth of One of Her Children.” How do the poems reflect different attitudes toward the entities they address—Bradstreet’s poetic “offspring” and the father of her actual children?

    Question

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    Chapter 5: Compare the tones of “The Author to Her Book” and “Before the Birth of One of Her Children.” How do the poems reflect different attitudes toward the entities they address—Bradstreet’s poetic “offspring” and the father of her actual children?
  2. How does Bradstreet write differently about the “little babes” in “Before the Birth of One of Her Children” and the metaphorical “brat” in “The Author to Her Book”? Do you see any common ideas in her treatment of these very different kinds of children?

    Question

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    Chapter 5: How does Bradstreet write differently about the “little babes” in “Before the Birth of One of Her Children” and the metaphorical “brat” in “The Author to Her Book”? Do you see any common ideas in her treatment of these very different kinds of children?
  3. In both of these poems, Bradstreet considers the legacy she will leave. How does she hope to be remembered—by her family, by friends, by strangers? What worries her about this remembrance?

    Question

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    Chapter 5: In both of these poems, Bradstreet considers the legacy she will leave. How does she hope to be remembered—by her family, by friends, by strangers? What worries her about this remembrance?
  4. Both poems consider faults and flaws, yet “Before the Birth of One of Her Children” seems much more forgiving of them. Why do the poems reflect such different feelings about imperfection?

    Question

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    Chapter 5: Both poems consider faults and flaws, yet “Before the Birth of One of Her Children” seems much more forgiving of them. Why do the poems reflect such different feelings about imperfection?