ENG 251 Literary Analysis Essay Assignment: Literature Analysis: Anne Bradstreet's “Contemplations”

Surname
Course
Lecturer
Dare
Literature Analysis: Anne Bradstreet's "Contemplations"
Anne Bradstreet's poem "Contemplations" is about eternity and time. The poem examines the world from a natural perspective and studies its implications on the spiritual world. Anne Bradstreet looks at numerous aspects of the natural world's time (Dolle 20). For example, the trees which can survive for several years and compares it to human lifetimes that last for a short span of time. Stones and rocks are also relatively compared due to their long term endurance. In her poem "Contemplations", Bradstreet conjectures the natural phenomenon that has longer endurance deserve praise. In a consideration to the natural world, humanity pales in comparison with other natural phenomena in claiming glory. Humanity is however superior from eternity perspective because only few selected people hold on hope of eternal salvation. A name graved in a white stone may outlast and outlive all other earthly phenomenon. This paper seeks to detail an analysis of Anne Bradstreet's poem: "Contemplation".
Anne Bradstreet's "Contemplation" is a long contemplative and pondering poem composed of 33 stanzas with ABAB rhyming. The poem has both inward and outward contemplations. Anne Bradstreet relates her experiences in the external world to her internal meditations on God's nature. She uses various poetry tools to pass her poetic message to the audience. Among other poetry tools used include: imagery, eye rhyme, symbolism, themes, figurative language, speaker, meter, simile, and irony. For example, in an early autumn evening, trees rich in clad leaves and fruits of attractive colors look like they are painted, but are naturally beautiful (Martin 30-32). Anne Bradstreet ponders on the manner in which God must have excellently created such stunning creatures on earth. She compares her age to a stately oak and notices that to eternity, her old age is nothing of significance. Anne also contemplates and wonders how full of glory the Sun must be because no eye possesses enough strength to directly look at i...