Analysis of To the Memory of my dear and ever honoured Father Thomas Dudley Esq; Who deceased, July 31. 1653. an
Anne Bradstreet 1612 (Northampton) – 1672 (Andover)
By duty bound, and not by custome led
To celebrate the praises of the dead,
My mournfull mind, sore prest, in trembling verse
Presents my Lamentations at his Herse,
Who was my Father, Guide, Instructer too,
To whom I ought whatever I could doe:
Nor is't Relation near my hand shall tye;
For who more cause to boast his worth then I?
Who heard or saw, observ'd or knew him better?
Or who alive then I, a greater debtor?
Let malice bite, and envy knaw its fill,
He was my Father, and Ile praise him still.
Nor was his name, or life lead so obscure
That pitty might some Trumpeters procure.
Who after death might make him falsly seem
Such as in life, no man could justly deem.
Well known and lov'd, where ere he liv'd, by most
Both in his native, and in foreign coast,
These to the world his merits could make known,
So needs no Testimonial from his own;
But now or never I must pay my Sum;
While others tell his worth, I'le not be dumb:
One of thy Founders, him New-England know,
Who staid thy feeble sides when thou wast low,
Who spent his state, his strength, & years with care
That After-comers in them might have share.
True Patriot of this little Commonweal,
Who is't can tax thee ought, but for thy zeal?
Truths friend thou wert, to errors still a foe,
Which caus'd Apostates to maligne so.
Thy love to true Religion e're shall shine,
My Fathers God, be God of me and mine.
Upon the earth he did not build his nest,
But as a Pilgrim, what he had, possest.
High thoughts he gave no harbour in his heart,
Nor honours pufft him up, when he had part:
Those titles loath'd, which some too much do love
For truly his ambition lay above.
His humble mind so lov'd humility,
He left it to his race for Legacy:
And oft and oft, with speeches mild and wise,
Gave his in charge, that Jewel rich to prize.
No ostentation seen in all his wayes,
As in the mean ones, of our foolish dayes,
Which all they have, and more still set to view,
Their greatness may be judg'd by what they shew.
His thoughts were more sublime, his actions wise,
Such vanityes he justly did despise.
Nor wonder 'twas, low things ne'r much did move
For he a Mansion had, prepar'd above,
For which he sigh'd and pray'd & long'd full sore
He might be cloath'd upon, for evermore.
Oft spake of death, and with a smiling chear,
He did exult his end was drawing near,
Now fully ripe, as shock of wheat that's grown,
Death as a Sickle hath him timely mown,
And in celestial Barn hath hous'd him high,
Where storms, nor showrs, nor ought can damnifie.
His Generation serv'd, his labours cease;
And to his Fathers gathered is in peace.
Ah happy Soul, 'mongst Saints and Angels blest,
VVho after all his toyle, is now at rest:
His hoary head in righteousness was found:
As joy in heaven on earth let praise resound.
Forgotten never be his memory,
His blessing rest on his posterity:
His pious Footsteps followed by his race,
At last will bring us to that happy place
Where we with joy each others face shall see,
And parted more by death shall never be.
His Epitaph.
Within this Tomb a Patriot lyes
That was both pious, just and wise,
To Truth a shield, to right a Wall,
To Sectaryes a whip and Maul,
A Magazine of History,
A Prizer of good Company
In manners pleasant and severe
The Good him lov'd, the bad did fear,
And when his time with years was spent
If some rejoyc'd, more did lament.
Scheme | AABBCDEEFFGGHHIIJJKKLLDDMMGNDDOOPAQQRRSSTTBBCCTTURVVFWKKERXXPPYYSSZZSS1 BT2 2 SSWW3 3 |
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Poetic Form | |
Metre | 110101111 110010101 1111101001 1011111 11110111 111110111 11101011111 1111111111 11110111110 11011101010 1101010111 1111001111 1111111101 1111101 110111111 1101111101 1101111111 1011000101 1101110111 1110100111 1111011111 11011110111 1111011101 1111011111 111111111 1101001111 110011101 11111111111 1111110101 111111 11110101111 1101111101 0101111111 110101111 1111110011 111111111 1101111111 1101010101 1101110100 1111111100 0101110101 1101110111 101010111 10011110101 1111011111 1101111111 1101011101 11110101 11011111111 1101010101 111101111 111101110 1111010101 1101111101 1101111111 1101011101 0001011111 11111111 10101111 0111010101 1101110101 1101111111 1101010011 1101011111 0101011100 1101110100 110110111 1111111101 1111110111 0101111101 110 011101001 11110101 11011101 110101 0101100 0111100 01010001 01110111 01111111 1111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 3,272 |
Words | 633 |
Sentences | 23 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 81 |
Lines Amount | 81 |
Letters per line (avg) | 32 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 2,575 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 631 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 3:16 min read
- 155 Views
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"To the Memory of my dear and ever honoured Father Thomas Dudley Esq; Who deceased, July 31. 1653. an" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 30 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/3115/to-the-memory-of-my-dear-and-ever-honoured-father-thomas-dudley-esq%3B-who-deceased%2C-july-31.-1653.-an>.
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