Entry 8: Compare and Contrast: Bradstreet v Sor Juana

Compare and contrast the two poems in terms of topic, theme, use of metaphor, use of rhyme, and the key words in the poem. Particularly discuss the use of the word "vanity".

• The topic of both poems is concerned with the idea of something or someone taking away your material possessions, and you the responses of both authors. Anne Bradstreet's response was to think about the real reward, which was heaven, while Sor Juana stated that even if something or someone took away her material possessions, she still has the most important one of all - knowledge. The overall theme of both poems is very similar, that material wealth is one of the less valuable things for an individual. The difference is that Anne Bradstreet thinks that heaven and God are the most important and valuable for an individual, while Sor Juana thinks that knowledge is more important and valuable for an individual. Both poems have a rhythm. Anne Bradstreet's poem rhymes at the last words of each sentence, two sentences per rhyme. Sor Juana's poem does not rhyme in English, but in Spanish. The key words in Anne Bradstreet's poem are more related to religion, such as chiding oneself for thinking about material wealth, and the prices paid in order to go to heaven. In Sor Juana's poem, the key words are knowledge, mind, and vanity. She is saying that knowledge and mind is more valuable than material wealth, and that we should not lose ourselves with vanities such as material possessions.