Anne Bradstreet: Poems Lesson Plan

What does "The Prologue" reveal about Bradstreet's Puritan society, particularly its views on women and women's work? Would you call Bradstreet a feminist? Why or why not?

"The Prologue" reveals Puritan views on women and women's work both explicitly and implicitly. In stanza five, the speaker directly addresses her society's ideas on women, stating that those who find fault with her poetry would see these faults as proof that women should not write at all, that they are more suited to domestic pursuits like needlework. If her audience does concede her work is good, they will say that she stole it or composed it by chance. A woman would not be seen as a talented poet...