Ann Dudley Bradley was an American writer who was born in the year 1612 and lived for 60 years and died in 1672. Among her many works that she wrote included the poem titled ‘The Prologue.’ She is best remembered as the first American poet to be published during colonisation of America. Edward Taylor was born in Sketchley, Leicestershire, England in 1642 and he lived for 87 years till in 1729. He too was an American poet during the colonisation of America. A Pastor and a Physician, one of his poems published was titled ‘Prologue’. The prologue by Ann has eight stanzas and each stanza has six lines, the stanzas of the poem have been arranged in a simple and clear manner; while in comparison with the prologue by Edward, written in 1939 from Preparatory Meditation has five stanzas and six lines. The first and the third line of every stanza have been indented left. Ann Bradley in her poem in the first stanza seems to despise the tendency to praise and adore war, captains and the kings and their cities and wealth that are as a resultant of war. She seems not to be able to compel herself into taking her pen and paper and praise them. (For my mean pen are too superior things). To her, it is the duty of poets and historians’ to set the facts straight. In her poem there is a thin line between the facts of history and the illusions of the kings and captains plus their wealth: and there worth will not be deemed by her writing. The perception of Ann and the emotions of her heart seem to look down about the colonisers good way of life (great bartas sugared lines) and she feels saddened about the state of her fellow Americans in the middle of plenty. In the Prologue by Edward Taylor, the poet seems to ask God a rhetoric question, that it’s very obvious like a clear sky that the dust that is on the earth (men) can not outweigh the totality of the grand mountains (superiority of God) on the earth caused it’s not their design nor show that can befit the grandeur of the divinity. To him he is self-agreeing that being handed a moistures pen (pen that is ready to be written with) will guide him in giving a wonderful praise to the lord. In the second stanza, he glorifies a pen that has been expectedly made for writing using a super refined ink that can even write on the most unlikely surface (in crystal leaves) where it can write ferociously till the writer stops.
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Both writers seem to praise the art of writing in bringing out their perception and in glorifying heavenly and in seeking self worth. (2nd stanza for Edward and the fifth and the sixth line of the first stanza for Ann.) In the fourth to the sixth stanzas, Ann Bradley states that they do not expect, any expressive language (rhetoric) from the school boys nor music (sweet consort) from old musical equipments (broken strings) nor a beauty that dance to their tune and so her thoughts also sings out but all this is in vain as whatever the issue at hand, it is not reversible as cause nature made it so. These has made her to dislike the Greek who through art discovered that there desires can be partly fulfilled by art to a certain extent , but at the end of the day an injured brain does not accept therapy.( the fifth stanza). The poet is intolerable to every nagging tongue that prejudices her hand that writes and scorns at her work just because of the superiority of her works and because she is female. This brings about the theme of gender bias and inequality through her works (Who says my hand a needle better fits.)and its her duty to prove them wrong through her works ( a poets pen all scorn) even though proving them wrong through her works will lead them to stating that her works and intelligence are not original but its plagiarized( last two sentence of the sixth stanza)
Edward Taylor, in the third to the fifth and the last stanza refers himself to be the crump of dust that is so low in the society and its only through his pen that he can bring himself to the level of the praise and high life like the mountains and these he is to do through praising of the Lord through written poems written in the most refined if inks ( And Write in Liquid Gold upon Thy Name; My Letters till Thy glory forth doth flame.) He continues by stating that no one should attempt to neither break down his endeavours nor laugh at his works. He applies to the lord to inspire his works and may glory be given to the lord who may have mercy to all those that are looking down at his works of praise (Nor laugh Thou them to scorn but pardon give). For if glory is given then it will last (Thy dust shall live.) And that the people should be careful not to scorn at the short coming of his works as they are still part of his works. (They being Slips slipped from Thy Crumb of Dust.) Edward as the crump of dust seeks God( the mountain) to guide him so that he can show case his prowess and give praise and glory to the almighty god (the last stanza)In the last three stanza for Ann Bradley, she looks back at the ancient Greeks who were mild in there treatment of there women but they are still pretenders (Else of our sex why feigned they those Nine). To her Greeks are Greeks and that men should stop waging wars to prove to the women as they have an advantage and they will always excel, all that women are seeking from the men is some respect and acknowledgement for all that they do( Yet grant some small acknowledgement of ours) For even the birds that fly the skies fly high but catch their prey and that men can stop looking down the women achievements then women achievement including her works is bound to bring more wealth to the men by simply acknowledging them.( last stanza) . To conclude both writers are looking at the art of writing as a means of fulfilling there desires. For Ann Acknowledgement from men and for Edward praise to the lord.
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