Can someone help me with this poem?

Question

I have a poem that that I'm supposed to write an essay on tomorrow, but I'm having some trouble understanding it. Can someone please break it down for me. Line by line would be most helpful.

The Author to Her Book

Anne Bradstreet

Thou ill-form'd offspring of my feeble brain,

Who after birth did'st by my side remain,

Till snatcht from thence by friends, less wise than true,

Who thee abroad expos'd to public view,

Made thee in rags, halting to th' press to trudge,

Where errors were not lessened (all may judge).

At thy return my blushing was not small,

My rambling brat (in print) should mother call.

I cast thee by as one unfit for light,

Thy Visage was so irksome in my sight,

Yet being mine own, at length affection would

Thy blemishes amend, if so I could.

I wash'd thy face, but more defects I saw,

And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw.

I stretcht thy joints to make thee even feet,

Yet still thou run'st more hobbling than is meet.

In better dress to trim thee was my mind,

But nought save home-spun Cloth, i' th' house I find.

In this array, 'mongst Vulgars mayst thou roam.

In Critics' hands, beware thou dost not come,

And take thy way where yet thou art not known.

If for thy Father askt, say, thou hadst none;

And for thy Mother, she alas is poor,

Which caus'd her thus to send thee out of door.

Answer 1

tell your teacher you couldnt do it and he/she needs to give you the english version

Answer 2

In the poem The Author to Her Book Anne Bradstreet uses an extended metaphor comparing the artist’s intense feelings towards one of her works to those of an unsatisfied parent for a child. In doing this she is also referring to her own ability as a writer. Bradstreet is able to convey her theme of an artist’s dissatisfaction with her work through her contemptuous or angry tone and through her negative imagery.

Bradstreet’s poem is one extended metaphor comparing her work of literature to an unwanted child. The contempt she holds for the child is clearly seem throughout the poem. The “ill-formed offspring” is hers, yet she claims it is “irksome in my sight.” Her tone is like that of any author to his or her work, always striving to improve what is there, and never being content with the final product. But Bradstreet’s poem was “snatched” by friends from her side and published, prematurely in her mind. Her “rambling brat” now is roaming “ ‘mongst vulgars” in rags, and is not fit to be read by anyone. As the author, Bradstreet still cares for her work, wanting to improve it and get rid of her contempt for its ugliness and deformity. She is similar to Dr. Frankenstein of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein in this respect. He, too, creates a monster, and, like Bradstreet, he longs to improve it, to make it something that people will remember as being good. Bradstreet, dissatisfied with the “visage that is so irksome” is striving to amend the “blemishes” because she loves her work like a mother loves a child, but she only makes them worse and more numerous. Her frustration in her tone is directed at herself for creating such a contemptible work of literature. Bradstreet is also comparing the work of literature to herself. After all, a author’s piece is a reflection of the ability of the author. By criticizing her work in the poem she doesn’t completely believe in her own ability to write.♥