You may have noticed that the speaker spends a lot of "The Prologue" talking about men who she thinks might criticize her for being a woman who writes poetry. (If you did notice that, congrats—you are awake and have a pulse.) She doesn't directly call it prejudice, but that's definitely what she's dealing with here. She's pushing back against people who tell her she can't do something because of her gender. Sure, she does it in a gentle, almost submissive way. But steadily and surely she makes the doubters look like fools, clowns, morons. We think there's something really brave about this poem, even though it can take a moment to see it.
Questions About Prejudice (Discrimination)
- Is this poem really about tackling prejudice? Is the speaker fighting to end discrimination, or just to have a chance to talk? How can you tell?
- How much do you think our world today has changed? Do young female writers encounter obstacles like Bradstreet did?
- Do you see specific examples of unfair bias in this poem? Which ones?
Chew on This
Even though she never complains directly about prejudice, the speaker of this poem continually highlights bad treatment by her male critics in order to show how unfair it is. (Darn tootin'.)
Finally, the speaker acknowledges that some prejudice against women is understandable, and she even agrees with it. She doesn't want equality, just the right to write. Right?