Cover art for Here follow some verses upon the burning of our house, July 10, 1666 by Anne Bradstreet

Here follow some verses upon the burning of our house, July 10, 1666

Here follow some verses upon the burning of our house, July 10, 1666 Lyrics

In silent night when rest I took,
For sorrow near I did not look,

I waked was with thund'ring noise
And piteous shrieks of dreadful voice.
That fearful sound of "Fire!" and "Fire!"

Let no man know is my desire.
I, starting up, the light did spy,
And to my God my heart did cry
To strengthen me in my distress
And not to leave me succorless.
Then, coming out, beheld a space
The flame consume my dwelling place.

And when I could no longer look,
I blest His name that gave and took,
That laid my goods now in the dust.

Yea, so it was, and so 'twas just.
It was His own, it was not mine,
Far be it that I should repine;
He might of all justly bereft
But yet sufficient for us left.

When by the ruins oft I past
My sorrowing eyes aside did cast,

And here and there the places spy
Where oft I sat and long did lie:
Here stood that trunk, and there that chest,
There lay that store I counted best.

My pleasant things in ashes lie,
And them behold no more shall I.
Under thy roof no guest shall sit,
Nor at thy table eat a bit.
No pleasant tale shall e'er be told,
Nor things recounted done of old.
No candle e'er shall shine in thee,

Nor bridegroom's voice e'er heard shall be.
In silence ever shall thou lie,

Adieu, Adieu, all's vanity.
Then straight I 'gin my heart to chide,
And did thy wealth on earth abide?

Didst fix thy hope on mold'ring dust?
The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?
Raise up thy thoughts above the sky
That dunghill mists away may fly.

Thou hast an house on high erect,
Framed by that mighty Architect,
With glory richly furnished,
Stands permanent though this be fled.

It's purchased and paid for too
By Him who hath enough to do.

A price so vast as is unknown
Yet by His gift is made thine own;

There's wealth enough, I need no more,
Farewell, my pelf, farewell my store.
The world no longer let me love,

My hope and treasure lies above.

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About

Genius Annotation

This poem is based on true events of the Bradstreet’s home being engulfed in flames in the middle of the night. The poem is constructed of couplets and a simple rhyme scheme which allows the story to flow nicely and be fully understood even with the odd language of the 1600’s in place.

Rather than mourn over the burning of her dear possessions, she believes that it’ll all be reimbursed many times over in heaven. The harsh conditions Bradstreet and her fellow Puritan New World migrants encountered upon arriving at the Massachusetts Bay Colony would serve to bolster Bradstreet’s Puritan faith.

Bradstreet’s devotion to the tenants of the Puritan faith are apparent throughout her collected works and “Verses upon the Burning of our House” is no exception. Her movement from grief to acceptance in the poem illustrates the “self scrutiny [that] was part and parcel of Puritan existence."

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What is the rhyme scheme of this poem?
Genius Answer

Anne Bradstreet uses a simple AABBCCDD scheme, which may very well parallel her calm and simple emotional state. Normally, when one’s house burns down, one acts out in a disorientated way—such an event is traumatic. However, the narrator responds in a faith based manner.

  1. 22.
    Here follow some verses upon the burning of our house, July 10, 1666
  2. 33.
    Spirit
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