Question

In the offer to her book Bradstreet uses an extended metaphor to express how she feels about the publication of her book of poems what does she compare a book to one child only a mother could love to a song written to please God not man three a chariot that carries her to heaven or for a walk where she thought her secrets were kept

Answer 1

Anne Bradstreet compares her book of poems to a child that only a mother could love, using this extended metaphor to express her mixed emotions about the publication of her work; pride in her creation and fear of public judgment.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Anne Bradstreet's poem, which is considered a part of her larger body of work, the extended metaphor used to describe her feelings about the publication of her book of poems is the comparison of her book to a child. This maternal metaphor expresses her ambivalent feelings towards her creative output, portraying her book as a vulnerable entity that she sends out into the world with a mixture of pride and fear of judgment, a sentiment shared by many authors and artists regarding their work. Bradstreet's use of this metaphor places her poems in a position akin to that of offspring, needing protection and love that only a mother could provide.

The concept of her literary work being like a beloved child is echoed in her concerns about how it will be received by others, worrying that it might not be appreciated or understood, but only a mother could love it for what it is. Despite this fear, she ultimately releases her book to the public, just as a parent eventually must let their child go out into the world.