Upon the Burning of our House
By: Anne Bradstreet,
1612-1672
I
n silent night when rest I took,
For sorrow neer I did not look,
I waken'd was with thundring nois
And Piteous shreiks of dreadfull voice.
That fearfull sound of fire and fire,
Let no man know is my Desire.
I, starting up, the light did spye,
And to my God my heart did cry
To strengthen me in my Distresse
And not to leave me succourlesse.
Then coming out beheld a space,
The flame consume my dwelling place.
And, when
I could no longer look,
I blest his Name that gave and took,
That layd my goods now in the dust:
Yea so it was, and so 'twas just.
It was his own: it was not mine;
Far be it that I should repine.
He might
of All justly bereft,
But yet sufficient for us left.
When by the Ruines oft I past,
My sorrowing eyes aside did cast,
And here and there the places spye
Where oft I sate, and long did lye.
Here
stood that Trunk, and there that chest;
There lay that store I counted best:
My pleasant things in ashes lye,
And them behold no more shall I.
Under thy roof no guest shall sitt,
Nor at thy Table eat a bitt.
No
pleasant tale shall 'ere be told,
Nor things recounted done of old.
No Candle 'ere shall shine in Thee,
Nor bridegroom's voice ere heard shall bee.
In silence ever shalt thou lye;
Adieu, Adeiu; All's vanity.
Then
streight I gin my heart to chide,
And didst thy wealth on earth abide?
Didst fix thy hope on mouldring dust,
The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?
Raise up thy thoughts above the skye
That dunghill mists away may flie.
Thou hast
an house on high erect
Fram'd by that mighty Architect,
With glory richly furnished,
Stands permanent tho' this bee fled.
It's purchased, and paid for too
By him who hath enough to doe.
A Prise
so vast as is unknown,
Yet, by his Gift, is made thine own.
Ther's wealth enough, I need no more;
Farewell my Pelf, farewell my Store.
The world no longer let me Love,
My hope and Treasure lyes Above.
Although
Anne Bradstreet wrote this poem back in the 1600’s, it truly sets the stage for
changes in one’s life. Not only does it
speak to the complexity of losing every worldly item that one possesses but it
also speaks to the loss of emotional attachments. The psychological effect this type of catastrophe
as upon an individual that loses everything is profound.
Looking
and studying “Upon The Burning Of Our House” there are three very valuable
lessons which are evident in
Bradstreet’s words. The first thing is that Bradstreet thanks God
while her house was burning. Secondly,
she stresses the point that she personally did not own the house and the items
that were lost in the fire because they were actually God’s possessions, which
exemplifies her faith on god and further shows that she is truly a Puritan and
lives her faith. Thirdly, she keeps
reminiscing on what could have transpired that night with her family if they
would not have awoken to flee the house.
