Anne Bradstreet
If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought[1] but love from thee, give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold[2], I pray.
Then while we live, in love let’s so persevere
That when we live no more, we may live ever._______
1. Discuss the following questions.
1) The poem can be described as a tribute to _____.
A. youth B. marriage C. God D. faith
2) Which of the following can best restate the last two lines of the poem?
A. As long as we live, we’ll love each other.
B. As long as one of us lives, our love will live.
C. Let’s love each other so well that we live on after death.
D. If we’re very determined, we’ll be able to love each other until we die.
3) In which set of Lines does the speaker of the poem establish her unity with her husband?
A. Lines 1～4. B. Lines 5 and 6. C. Lines 7 and 8. D. Lines 9～12.
4) In Lines 5～8 of the poem, the speaker develops the idea that the love in her marriage is _____.
A. moral B. eternal C. strong D. spiritual
5) The speaker of the poem feels that her husband’s love for her is ________.
A. far weaker than her love for him
B. slightly weaker than her love for him
C. as powerful as her love for him
D. far stronger than her love for him
2. Read and recite the poem. Translate the poem into Chinese and compare your version with your partners’.
Notes
1.The Magi: They were the so-called three wise men from the east who traveled to Bethlehem, following a bright star, to present gifts-gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the infant Jesus. They have been identified in western tradition as Balthasar, king of Arabia; Melchior, king of Persia; and Gaspar, king of India.