Anne Bradstreet's "Before the Birth of One of Her Children" is actually about death—specifically, death in childbirth, an all-too-common fate when this poem appeared in 1678. The first published writer from England's North American colonies, Bradstreet was also the mother of eight children. She writes from a pregnant woman's perspective, capturing the inner life of the speaker as she grapples with her vulnerability as an expectant mother. This poem is at once a confrontation with mortality and a celebration of the rewards of motherhood.
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The Full Text of “Before the Birth of One of Her Children”
1All things within this fading world hath end,
2Adversity doth still our joyes attend;
3No ties so strong, no friends so dear and sweet,
4But with death’s parting blow is sure to meet.
5The sentence past is most irrevocable,
6A common thing, yet oh inevitable.
7How soon, my Dear, death may my steps attend,
8How soon’t may be thy Lot to lose thy friend,
9We are both ignorant, yet love bids me
10These farewell lines to recommend to thee,
11That when that knot’s untied that made us one,
12I may seem thine, who in effect am none.
13And if I see not half my dayes that’s due,
14What nature would, God grant to yours and you;
15The many faults that well you know I have
16Let be interr’d in my oblivious grave;
17If any worth or virtue were in me,
18Let that live freshly in thy memory
19And when thou feel’st no grief, as I no harms,
20Yet love thy dead, who long lay in thine arms.
21And when thy loss shall be repaid with gains
22Look to my little babes, my dear remains.
23And if thou love thyself, or loved’st me,
24These o protect from step Dames injury.
25And if chance to thine eyes shall bring this verse,
26With some sad sighs honour my absent Herse;
27And kiss this paper for thy loves dear sake,
28Who with salt tears this last Farewel did take.
The Full Text of “Before the Birth of One of Her Children”
1All things within this fading world hath end,
2Adversity doth still our joyes attend;
3No ties so strong, no friends so dear and sweet,
4But with death’s parting blow is sure to meet.
5The sentence past is most irrevocable,
6A common thing, yet oh inevitable.
7How soon, my Dear, death may my steps attend,
8How soon’t may be thy Lot to lose thy friend,
9We are both ignorant, yet love bids me
10These farewell lines to recommend to thee,
11That when that knot’s untied that made us one,
12I may seem thine, who in effect am none.
13And if I see not half my dayes that’s due,
14What nature would, God grant to yours and you;
15The many faults that well you know I have
16Let be interr’d in my oblivious grave;
17If any worth or virtue were in me,
18Let that live freshly in thy memory
19And when thou feel’st no grief, as I no harms,
20Yet love thy dead, who long lay in thine arms.
21And when thy loss shall be repaid with gains
22Look to my little babes, my dear remains.
23And if thou love thyself, or loved’st me,
24These o protect from step Dames injury.
25And if chance to thine eyes shall bring this verse,
26With some sad sighs honour my absent Herse;
27And kiss this paper for thy loves dear sake,
28Who with salt tears this last Farewel did take.
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“Before the Birth of One of Her Children” Summary
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“Before the Birth of One of Her Children” Themes
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The Inevitability of Death
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Remembrance and Legacy
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Motherhood and Childbirth
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Before the Birth of One of Her Children”
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Lines 1-4
All things within this fading world hath end,
Adversity doth still our joyes attend;
No ties so strong, no friends so dear and sweet,
But with death’s parting blow is sure to meet. -
Lines 5-6
The sentence past is most irrevocable,
A common thing, yet oh inevitable. -
Lines 7-8
How soon, my Dear, death may my steps attend,
How soon’t may be thy Lot to lose thy friend, -
Lines 9-12
We are both ignorant, yet love bids me
These farewell lines to recommend to thee,
That when that knot’s untied that made us one,
I may seem thine, who in effect am none. -
Lines 13-18
And if I see not half my dayes that’s due,
What nature would, God grant to yours and you;
The many faults that well you know I have
Let be interr’d in my oblivious grave;
If any worth or virtue were in me,
Let that live freshly in thy memory -
Lines 19-24
And when thou feel’st no grief, as I no harms,
Yet love thy dead, who long lay in thine arms.
And when thy loss shall be repaid with gains
Look to my little babes, my dear remains.
And if thou love thyself, or loved’st me,
These o protect from step Dames injury. -
Lines 25-28
And if chance to thine eyes shall bring this verse,
With some sad sighs honour my absent Herse;
And kiss this paper for thy loves dear sake,
Who with salt tears this last Farewel did take.
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“Before the Birth of One of Her Children” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Alliteration
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Allusion
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Assonance
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Consonance
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Repetition
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Enjambment
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Metaphor
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Parallelism
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“Before the Birth of One of Her Children” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Hath
- Doth
- Joyes
- Attend
- Irrevocable
- Thy
- Lot
- Thee
- Thine
- Dayes
- Interr'd
- Oblivious
- Step Dames
- Herse
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Before the Birth of One of Her Children”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Before the Birth of One of Her Children” Speaker
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“Before the Birth of One of Her Children” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Before the Birth of One of Her Children”
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More “Before the Birth of One of Her Children” Resources
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External Resources
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Anne Bradstreet's Biography — Read about the poet's life and work.
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Women in Puritan Society — Explore a study guide about the roles and rights of Puritan women.
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America's First Poet — Listen to an NPR piece about the life and work of Anne Bradstreet.
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The Poem Aloud — Listen to the poet Robert Pinsky reading the poem aloud.
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Childbirth in Early America — Read a history of childbirth in colonial America.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Anne Bradstreet
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