Analysis of Anne Bradstreet's "The Prologue"

Anne Bradstreet was a woman in a man’s world. She was ahead of her times with her knowledge, understanding, ideas, and writing abilities. She was the author of many works and only few made it to print during her lifetime. The only reason that these works were printed was because her brother-in-law, against her will, took her works to England and had them printed. In no work of hers is her struggle to have herself and other women recognized then in “The Prologue.”
In the first stanza Bradstreet expresses her feeling that her work is simple. She states that she wants to leave the recording of history up to others who she believes have more skill. “Let poets and historians set these forth, /My obscure lines shall not so dim their worth.” (Pg 247) In this quote Bradstreet is expressing her desire not to have her writings trivialize the events of the past. She would much rather have these events honored in the way she believes fit than she herself write about them.
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