"The Author to Her Book" is a poem written by Anne Bradstreet, a colonial American poet who was one of the first women to have her works published in the English language. The poem is a metaphor for the relationship between a writer and their work, with the writer personifying their book as a child.
In the first stanza, the writer compares the process of creating a book to giving birth, saying "Thou ill-form'd offspring of my feeble brain," and "Thou art given me to keep." This suggests that the writer sees the book as a part of herself, something that she has created and is responsible for.
The second stanza is more critical, as the writer expresses frustration with the flaws in her work. She says "I washed thy face, but more defects I saw," and "I tore thee to pieces, and put thee together." This suggests that the writer has revised and edited her work, but still finds flaws in it.
In the third stanza, the writer addresses the book as if it were a child, saying "Thou art my child, and men may call thee fool," and "I'll love thee better than a child." This shows the writer's deep love and connection to her work, even though it may not be perfect.
The final stanza is a plea for understanding and acceptance from the reader. The writer says "Do not so, but let my hand support thee, And thou shalt flourish fresh, or else be dried." This suggests that the writer wants her book to be appreciated and valued, even if it is not perfect.
Overall, "The Author to Her Book" is a powerful and poignant portrayal of the relationship between a writer and their work. It captures the joy, frustration, and love that a writer feels towards their book, and the desire to be understood and appreciated by the reader.
Anne Bradstreet: Poems āThe Author to Her Bookā Summary and Analysis
For example, "riding the wind" uses both alliteration and assonance because the words "riding" and "wind" each begin with an "r". If anyone asks if the book has a father, the book will tell them no, and if they ask if it has a mother, the book should tell them that her mother is poor and that is why she sent the book away. The poem conveys Bradstreet's thoughts at her brother-in-1650 law's publishing of some of her poetry, which she was unaware of until the book was published. In the poem, she addresses her book as her 'offspring,' reflecting on its imperfections, but concluding that she still loves it because it is hers. She adds plenty of allusions in this poem, most being towards God. She hopes that the book does not fall into a critic's hand or go to places where it ought not to go.
Poem 'The Author to Her Book' by Anne Bradstreet Analytical Essay on blog.sigma-systems.com
The poem is her outlet for her emotions regarding the exposure of the first edition, which was published without her knowledge. Her writing, which was previously hers alone, has been taken without her consent, and the act has the same effect as a child being ripped from its mother's arms before she is ready. Though Bradstreet and Edwards are similar their writing is very different. Lesson at a Glance Like a mother protecting her child from the outside world, Anne Bradstreet writes about her poetry being published in her poem 'The Author to Her Book'. Many of Bradstreet's poems are intimate verses about her marriage, as well as reflections on religion and spirituality. Reading this poem over and over for countless hours I came to the conclusion that there are two messages that Bradstreet was trying to project in this poem, the Literal way and the sarcastic way. Anne Bradstreet's 17th-century poem called, ' The Author to Her Book', tries to answer precisely these types of questions from the perspective of a writer.
