Anne Bradstreet “To My Dear and Loving Husband” “Upon the Burning of Our House, July 10 th, 1666”

Bradstreet Intro People may value objects like cars or clothes or something less tangible, such as family. The Puritans valued family life and their religious faith above everything else. Think about what you prize most in your life.

Journal Imagine that a reality show has offered you the chance to win a million dollars. The catch is that you will have to give up an object, a person, or a belief that you truly value. Assume that you are not willing to make the sacrifice. Write a brief letter to explain why you must turn down the money (Remember, 100 words minimum!)

paradox A statement that seems contradictory but is nevertheless true

metaphor A comparison of two unlike things by saying one thing is another

extended metaphor A metaphor that compares two unlike things in various ways throughout a paragraph, a stanza, or an entire piece of writing

theme The central message of a work of literature that readers can apply to life – One word is not the theme – that is probably the subject. – Man vs. nature is not the theme – that is the conflict. – The theme is stated in a complete sentence, and it reveals to the reader what has been learned about a particular subject.

3-Step Theme Writing PlotSubjectsThemes Write a summary of the plot or events of a poem in paragraph form. List subjects of the poem as words or phrases. After combining subjects where appropriate, write a complete sentence identifying what idea the author is conveying about each subject. In “Janet Waking,” by John Crowe Ransom, Janet awakens one morning and runs to greet her pet chicken only to discover that a bee had stung and killed the bird. The discovery desolates Janet to such a degree that her father cannot comfort her. 1) a child’s first experience of death 2) loss of a pet 3) innocence 1) Children become aware of the inevitability of death and are transformed by the knowledge. 2) The death of innocence is inevitable.

Directions for Bradstreet’s poetry analysis 1.Read the bio, background to Bradstreet, p Read “Burning” and “Husband” aloud to your partner. 3.On the same page as your journal, complete Step 1 of the 3-step by summarizing every TWO lines of text with ONE sentence. 4.Complete Steps 2 and 3 of the 3-step process. 5.Answer questions 1-3 and 6-8 in complete sentences on this same sheet.