Monday, September 21, 2015

What are some of the specific losses that Bradstreet dwells on the first half of "Verses upon the Burning of our House"?

Bradstreet first mentions the house itself and the goods that are "now in the dust."  Later, as she walks past the ruins of her house, she mentions a "trunk" and "chest" that she had once loved for storage.  And while she does miss the table that her family had gathered around, she seems to miss the conversation more that took place around that table and the symbolism of a lost candle, not the candle itself.


Although the poetess bemoans the loss of these items, she closes out the last half of the poem with a lesson to readers to be thankful for their intangible possessions and an admonishment to consider where their true treasure lies.

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