Verses upon the Burning of our House

What is immediately striking about “Some Verses” is that the poem itself is a single 54-line stanza. Because Bradstreet’s other poetry evidences her ability to design and execute stanzas, the form of the poem itself becomes part of its thematic argument.

The poem is itself something of a prayer, as Bradstreet works through her wavering feelings for the material possessions she has lost before she commits herself in solid Puritan fashion to thanking God for providing her with this abject lesson in God’s might and providential love. Only by destroying her home and her possession could God teach her the danger to her soul by putting too much store in earthly things. Thus, the poem moves swiftly, unerringly, and absolutely upward. With stanza breaks, that movement upward would lose its momentum, would allow for pauses that might indicate doubt. As Bradstreet designs the form, there is no break, no second-guessing—only the momentum of affirmation.

Thus the poem reflects how Bradstreet prays her way back into God’s good graces. That uninterrupted form creates the momentum of prayer itself. That momentum is further heightened by Bradstreet’s decision to use rhyming couplets as her poetic form. The poem never breaks the