How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #1
Thou ill-formed offspring of my feeble brain,
Who after birth did'st by my side remain, (1-2)
The speaker’s poetry is “ill-formed,” but this is only because she hasn’t revised it yet. Duh! Nothing is perfectly “formed” right away now, is it?
Quote #2
Till snatcht from thence by friends, less wise than true,
Who thee abroad exposed to public view, (3-4)
Clearly the speaker is talking about publication, which here doesn’t sound too good. Exposed to public view? That’s what you say if your pants fall off in public. We can’t help thinking the speaker feels as though publishing is like exposing something private and personal.
Quote #3
Made thee in rags, halting to th' press to trudge,
Where errors were not lessened (all may judge). (5-6)
The word “trudge” suggests a strange kind of walking. This foreshadows the speaker’s later description of her poetry as “hobbling.” Both passages suggest that her poetry is less than smooth, to say the least.