Figurative Language: The Author to Her Book, Anne Bradstreet

The speaker in this poem uses an extended metaphor to compare the book that she wrote to a child/offspring. In the first lines of the play she establishes this metaphor: "Thou ill-informed offspring of my feeble brain" (Line 1). She compares this book/novel that she has written to an unintelligent child. The use of figurative language helps to convey an image of  a poorly written book that the author seems to lament.The novel is a creation of her mind, just as a child would be a creation of her body. She refers to her book as "My rambling brat (in print)" (Line 8). She personifies the book as a rambling child. The word rambling has a negative connotation of senseless and ongoing gibberish. This enforces the idea that she does not think very highly of her book or writing style. The metaphor is continued by calling the book a brat. Again, emphasizing her dislike and negative thoughts regarding this book or "offspring". The speaker makes an attempt at editing her book but she seems to be unsuccessful, this is portrayed again through the use of personification and metaphorical language: "I washed thy face, but more defects I saw/And rubbing off a spot still made a flaw" (Lines 13-14). She compares the editing process to washing the face of a child. She is unhappy with the appearance of the child meaning that she is unhappy with her attempts at fixing the book. She is embarrassed that her book has been put into the public's eye but justifies the publication with her lack of money: "If for thy Father asked, say thou had'st none;/And for thy Mother, she alas is poor/Which caused her thus to send thee out of door" (Lines 22-24). She compares her book to a bastard child. She is embarrassed to call it her own but she has to send it out the door so she can make money. Rural families would often use their children to help on the farm. She makes this comparison to the publication of her book, sending it out the door and into the hands of the public.