Utopian Promise

Watch the video Utopian Promise and click through the section of the PowerPoint presentation Native
American, Puritan, and Slave Literature that covers Puritan literature. Keep this PowerPoint open and use it as
a reference as you answer the questions about the story.
Read “Verses upon the Burning of our House, July 10th, 1666” and “To My Dear and Loving Husband.” (Tip:
When reading poetry, follow the punctuation and ignore line breaks. Sentences often stretch over multiple
lines.)
Navigate to the threaded discussion below. Copy and paste the following questions and your answers to each
of them into your initial post:
“Some Verses Upon the Burning of My House” is written in iambic tetrameter and is organized into a series of
couplets. Use the Glossary of literary terms to explain what this means (explain both iambic tetrameter and
couplet, and how these terms apply to the poem).
What was Bradstreet’s first reaction to seeing the fire? Quote directly from the poem to support your answer.
How does Bradstreet’s reaction to the fire change as the poem progresses? Quote directly from the poem to
support your answer.
Based on what you have learned about the Puritan culture, is Bradstreet’s reaction to the fire what you would
have expected? Explain your answer.
What do you think the overall message of “Verses upon the Burning of our House, July 10th, 1666” is? Explain
your answer.
What meter is “To My Dear and Loving Husband” written in?
Identify a metaphor in the poem and explain how it is used to support the main idea of the poem.
Interpret lines 9-10 of the poem in your own words.
Although most of the language in the poem may sound idealistic, what does her use of the word persevere in
line 11 suggest about marital love?
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Is Bradstreet’s view of love consistent with the view of love expressed in these
verses? Explain your answer.