Question
Respond to the following prompt using the AEC literary analysis writing format. Your response should be
well-developed paragraph, consisting of AT LEAST 7-8 SENTENCES.
Some readers have felt that by so lovingly writing about her losses in "Upon the Burning of Our House", Anny
Bradstreet is crying out to heaven in a way that unconsciously reveals more attachment to her carthly
possessions than she would admit to. On the other hand, what Bradstreet does not reveal in this poem is
important: Hundreds of books, as well as her papers and all of her unpublished poems, were also lost in the fire
Using specific examples from the text, explain why you are, or are not, convinced that the speaker means what
she says about her earthly and heavenly rewards.
Be sure to include an assertion (or opinion), evidence from the poem to prove your opinion, and commentary
explain why the evidence proves your opinion.
Answer
In "Upon the Burning of Our House", Anne Bradstreet's speaker expresses her grief over the loss of her earthly possessions, but also her faith in God's plan and her trust that He will provide her with heavenly rewards. While some readers may interpret the speaker's grief as an indication of her attachment to her earthly possessions, a closer look at the poem reveals that the speaker's faith in God's plan is unwavering. For example, the speaker states, "My worldly goods are but a slender store, / But Lord, Thou hast a treasure more" (lines 5-6). Here, the speaker acknowledges that her earthly possessions are insignificant in comparison to the heavenly rewards that God has in store for her. Additionally, the speaker expresses her trust in God's plan when she states, "Thou hast an house on high erect / Fram'd by that mighty Architect" (lines 11-12). This imagery of a heavenly house being built by God reinforces the speaker's faith in God's plan and her trust that He will provide her with heavenly rewards. Thus, Bradstreet's speaker does mean what she says about her earthly and heavenly rewards, and her faith in God's plan is evident throughout the poem.