Discussion Questions for 11/2- Chelsea and Kaylee

Anne Bradstreet was born in 1612 in England. She was given a decent education for a girl at the time because of the literature her father gave her. She and her family were devout Puritans and left for America to found the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Bradstreet was a dedicated mother to eight children. In her poetry, she often commented on political, social, and domestic issues.

“The Author to Her Book”

1. Throughout the poem, Bradstreet compares her book to a poor, dirty child. Why would she compare her work to that image? What does this poem reveal about her view of herself and her role as a woman writer? Based on her message/theme of this poem, does this remind you of any other pieces we have discussed in class?

“Before the Birth of One of Her Children”
2. This poem is like a letter. She is giving advice, sharing her fears, and saying her goodbyes. Who do you think the speaker is writing this for? Why is it important that she wrote this?

 “In Reference to her Children…”

3. What does the bird metaphor throughout the poem represent? Does the metaphor and message still apply to motherhood today?

 Sylvia Plath was born in 1932. Her writings are complex and look at women’s anger and creativity. She started getting her work published at a young age, when her work was published in Seventeen Magazine. She suffered from many mental issues, but still graduated from Smith College. She did get married to a man named Ted Hughes, and they had two children together. Less than a couple months after her divorce with Ted Hughes, she committed suicide.

 

“The Disquieting Muses”
4. In this poem, and even in the title, Plath mentions muses and ladies. She says things such as, “from muses unhired by you…” or “but those ladies broke the pains.” Who do you think the muses are?
5. Have you personally experienced or have seen any extremely positive or extremely negative mothering experiences? How has it shaped you/that person?

 “Medusa”

6. We have read a couple different pieces in this class so far that talk about Medusa. Each piece takes a different stance on who Medusa is and creates an image about her. Who is Medusa in this poem? What is the image of Medusa in this poem?
7. What do you think the speaker’s relationship is with the person she is comparing to Medusa?

 “Nick and the Candlestick”

8. We noticed that the beginning of the poem has darker images compared to the second half of the poem. For example: in the first line it says, “The light burns blue.” Later it says, “The candle gulps and recovers its small altitude, its yellow hearten…” Based on the contrasting images from the first half to the second half of the poem, what do you think that represents about maternal instincts?