Answer:
Anne Bradstreet develops the theme that true love is invaluable by using various literary devices and comparisons in her poem.
Step-by-step explanation:
- She uses hyperbole to exaggerate her love for her husband and his love for her. For example, she says "I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold, / Or all the riches that the East doth hold." This shows that she values his love more than any material wealth in the world.
- She uses metaphor to compare her love to a river that cannot be quenched by anything but his love. She says "My love is such that rivers cannot quench, / Nor ought but love from thee give recompense." This implies that her love is endless and powerful, and that nothing can satisfy her but his love in return.
- She uses parallelism to structure her poem in a series of conditional statements that start with “if” and end with “then”. For example, she says "If ever two were one, then surely we. / If ever man were loved by wife, then thee." This creates a logical and rhythmic flow of her arguments, and emphasizes her certainty and confidence in their love.
- She uses alliteration to create a musical sound and harmony in her poem. For example, she repeats the sounds of “d”, “l”, and “w” in the lines “To my dear and loving husband” and “If ever wife was happy in a man”. This enhances the beauty and emotion of her poem.
- She uses religious imagery to express her hope for their eternal union in heaven. She says "The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray. / Then while we live, in love let’s so persever, / That when we live no more, we may live ever." This shows that she believes their love is sacred and blessed by God, and that they will continue to love each other even after death.
- You can use quotes as evidence too. For example, you can quote the lines that I mentioned previously and explain how they support the theme. like:
- One way that Anne Bradstreet develops the theme that true love is invaluable is by using hyperbole to exaggerate her love for her husband and his love for her. For example, she says “I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold, / Or all the riches that the East doth hold.” This quote shows that she values his love more than any material wealth in the world, and that nothing can compare to their love. She uses hyperbole to express the intensity and depth of her feelings, and to show how much she appreciates and cherishes his love.