Belasco and Johnson explored various poems in their book, “The Bedford Anthology of American Literature, Volume One: Beginnings to 1865”, which center on appreciating and honoring people that the main characters considered them as heroes (Belasco and Johnson 190-195). In particular, the poem, “To Her Father With Some Verses”, was written by Anne Bradstreet in an appreciation of her father for raising her when she was a child, and for the reason that she became a responsible mother (Belasco and Johnson 195). In this poem, the writer used different literary techniques to convey her message. The narrator’s main idea was to show that she felt that she was forever indebted to her father who devotedly instructed her until she became a successful woman and a responsible mother. To expound on the main idea, the narrator used different techniques including tone, theme, metaphor and symbolism. Above all, this poem is an example of a sonnet; a fourteen-line poem with two line-groupings that have “aa-bb-cc” rhyme scheme. The poem was written in the modern English which is easy to understand. When reading through the rhyme scheme, and understanding the metaphors, symbolism and the tone, one can clearly understand what the narrator wanted to say. The narrator aim was to express her attitude of humility to her father by acknowledging her place as a woman and a mother. In addition, the narrator intended to show that she understood the superior role of men; she referenced her father as God since she admired and appreciated him but felt that none of her gift was adequate to thank her.

Bradstreet employs the fourteen-line iambic pentameter form of sonnet to show to the reader her role as a woman and a daughter. The poem begins with two quatrains which are a grouping of four lines. In the first quatrain, the narrator introduces the situation of the problem. She expressed her true honor to her father and regards him to be a superior person. For example, in the first line, she says, “Most truly honoured, and as truly dear”. In the second quatrain, she inspects the subject closely by stating that her father is very worthy and there is nothing to compare to him. Often, a typical sonnet has a turn on line 9 that where the narrator starts to listen to her other side of internal conflict perpetuated by a conjunction such as “yet”. In the sonnet form, the narrator reaches her conclusion on the last two lines. In this poem, Bradstreet employs this scheme but conjunction yet seems to be introduced on the eighth line. In the line, “Yet for part payment take this simple mite”, the narrator acknowledges that her pay can only be termed as too little to compare to the effort her father made in rearing her. In the last two lines, Bradstreet admits that she will forever be devoted to repaying her father for raising her and that she will never be able to pay the debt in full until she dies. She says, “Yet paying is not paid until I die”. The rhyme scheme seemed to extend the narrators appraisal of her father and her deprecating attitude. For example, in the last four lines, there is “aa-bb” rhyming pattern in the words, “forgive, live” and “I, die”. The rhyme pattern in the last four lines of the poem shows the laudatory and the self-deprecating attitude of the narrator. The narrator used the rhyme scheme to show her endless admiration of her father and her insulting thought that she would never be able to repay her father for his parentage (Belasco and Johnson 195).

Bradstreet also employed the theme of “quest for her parent’s approval”. Throughout the poem, the narrator obviously uses tries to look for ways in the whole of her life, trying to repay her father. She admits that she will work until she dies so that she may appreciate her father. For example, in the eleventh line, she says, “Such is my debt I may not say forgive”. The theme of quest for parent’s approval further develops the narrator’s intentions which was to praise her father for the nurturing her as a child until she became a mother (Belasco and Johnson 195).

The tone of praise through self –deprecation is evident in the poem. Bradstreet feels awe for her father, but she longs to express her admiration for her father but feels that she may not have the adequate gift to thank him. The narrator’s tone of praise elevates her father to be a superior man, same as God. As a result, the tone further demonstrated the position of men; that they were superior models who deserved to be praised for their role as fathers (Belasco and Johnson 195).

Other literary devices that the narrator used to express her admiration and appreciation of her father were symbolism and metaphors. Every line in the poem has some word the represents financial matters because the narrator was comparing her father’s love and guidance to an investment. For example, in line 7, she uses the expression “…my stocks are so small…” to mean that she had given all she had to repay her father, but, “…I know not how to pay” meant that she had been unsuccessful to thank him enough. In a whole sentence, she says, “My stock’s so small I know not how to pay”. The narrator uses the repeated symbolism to express her inability to repay God for providing her with a gift of life. When she uses words such as “most truly honoured”, she placed her father to be a mighty being, a perfect being; as if he should be admired by everyone including herself (Belasco and Johnson 195).

The poem by Bradstreet is a reflection of a true parent-children relation in the modern life. Most of us grow up seeing the struggles the parents go through such as cutting down budgets to raise school feel and even in some case, meal budgets. When children become adults and start families, they often come to realize that raising children is a difficult responsibility as it requires resilience, humility, sacrifice, love and care. These are some of the struggles that make people to want to look for ways of appreciating their parents such as buying them a car, or building a house for them. However, just like Bradstreet, the material things cannot be equated to the love and care that our father provide us with and as a result, we are likely to find ourselves in the same shoes as the narrator, admiring our parents love and never knowing how to repay it in full.

Conclusion

The poem has used literary skills effective to show its thesis; that the narrator admired her father for the gift of love and compassion that help her become and adult but cannot be able to repay it. Moreover, the poem has used sonnet structure very well to expand on the narrator’s main point, as well as the use of tone, metaphor and symbolism.

Works Cited

Belasco, Susan and Linck Johnson. The Bedford Anthology of American Literature, Volume

One: Beginnings to 1865, Second Edition. New York, NY: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. Print.

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