Reading Strategy: Paraphrasing The old-fashioned language and sophisticated imagery of Bradstreet's and Taylor's poems
can make them difficult to understand. When confronted with a challenging poem or plece of
prose, you will often understand it better if you paraphrase, or restate ideas in your own words.
Bradstreet's version:
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me ye women if you can.
Paraphrased:
No woman could be happier with her husband than I am.
DIRECTIONS: On the lines provided, paraphrase the following excerpts from Bradstreets and
Taylor's poems