Question

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Part C
Summarize the meaning and purpose of "As Weary Pilgrim, Now at Rest." Describe the view that Anne Bradstreet takes in the poem. Cite
evidence from the poem to support your answer.

Answer 1

Anne's view seems to represent comfort knowing that the pilgrim that died can rest peacefully, they no longer have to suffer and are relieved. Anne hopes that when she dies she can also have the comfort of feeling free from everything that has happened in her life and she will eventually get to see her passed family and friends too. Unlike most people, she sees death from a different perspective; as a beautiful event in life. She finds it calming as we can see when she wrote, "This body shall in silence sleep."

Step-by-step explanation:

I put the sample answer into my own words so it didn't look like I copied it. Sample answer is: In "As Weary Pilgrim, Now at Rest," the speaker wishes another pilgrim farewell as death has taken him. She’s relieved that he no longer has to suffer and can rest peacefully. She too wishes to one day be free from these woes and ailments that age has brought upon her and then be with her deceased loved one. The poet views death as a calming and soothing event as seen in lines such as "This body shall in silence sleep" and "Oh, how I long to be at rest." The poet also seems to long for the afterlife, as corroborated by lines such as "And soar on high among the blest" and "Then soul and body shall unite/And of their Maker have the sight."

Answer 2

Answer: The meaning of the poem is that death is a calming experience, and an escape from all the worldly hardships.

Step-by-step explanation:

"As Weary Pilgrim, Now at Rest", a poem written by Anne Bradstreet, explores the theme of the beauty of death. The speaker of the poem describes that a pilgrim has died, and is relieved because this is an end to his sufferings. The speaker admires him for being free, and wishes to experience the same feeling one day. Death is, in this case, a peaceful and calming experience which alleviates the pain. This is seen in the following lines: "This body shall in silence sleep." Moreover, the speaker looks forward to the afterlife: "Then soul and body shall unite/And of their Maker have the sight."