The Introduction by Anne Finch
Did I, my lines intend for public view,
How many censures, would their faults pursue,
Some would, because such words they do affect,
Cry they're insipid, empty, uncorrect.
And many, have attained, dull and untaught
The name of wit, only by finding fault.
True judges, might condemn their want of wit,
And all might say, they're by a woman writ.
Alas! a woman that attempts the pen,
Such an intruder on the rights of men,
Such a presumptuous creature, is esteemed,
The fault, can by no virtue be redeemed.
They tell us, we mistake our sex and way;
Good breeding, fashion, dancing, dressing, play
Are the accomplishments we should desire;
To write, or read, or think, or to enquire
Would cloud our beauty, and exhaust our time;
And interrupt the conquests of our prime;
Whilst the dull manage, of a servile house
Is held by some, our outmost art, and use.
Sure 'twas not ever thus, nor are we told
Fables, of women that excelled of old;
To whom, by the diffusive hand of Heaven
Some share of wit, and poetry was given.
On that glad day, on which the ark returned,
The holy pledge, for which the land had mourned,
The joyful tribes, attend it on the way,
The Levites do the sacred charge convey,
Whilst various instruments, before it play;
Here, holy virgins in the concert join,
The louder notes, to soften, and refine,
And with alternate verse, complete the hymn divine.
Lo! the young Poet, after God's own heart,
By Him inspired, and taught the Muses Art,
Returned from conquest, a bright chorus meets,
That sing his slain ten thousand in the streets.
In such loud numbers they his acts declare,
Proclaim the wonders, of his early war,
That Saul upon the vast applause does frown,
And feels, its mighty thunder shake the crown.
What, can the threatened judgment now prolong?
Half of the kingdom is already gone;
The fairest half, whose influence guides the rest,
Have David's empire, o're their hearts confessed.
A woman here, leads fainting Israel on,
She fights, she wins, she triumphs with a song,
Devout, majestic, for the subject fit,
And far above her arms, exalts her wit,
Then, to the peaceful, shady palm withdraws,
And rules the rescued nation with her laws.
How are we fall'n, fall'n by mistaken rules?
And Education's, more than Nature's fools,
Debarred from all improvements of the mind,
And to be dull, expected and designed;
And if some one, would Soar above the rest,
With warmer fancy, and ambition pressed,
So strong, th' opposing faction still appears,
The hopes to thrive, can ne're outweigh the fears,
Be cautioned then my Muse, and still retired;
Nor be despised, aiming to be admired;
Conscious of wants, still with contracted wing,
To some few friends, and to thy sorrows sing;
For groves of laurel, thou wert never meant;
Be dark enough thy shades, and be thou there content.
1. An allusion used in Finch's "The Introduction" is:
A. Deborah, an Israelite leader.
B. Muses' art
I think it's A?
2. Finch uses this allusion to:
A. prove her worthiness as a poet.
B. show that in the past, women have been strong leaders.
C. prove her superiority over men.
I think it's B?
I think you're right on both questions.
To answer these questions, let's first understand what an allusion is. An allusion is a literary device where an author references a person, event, or work from history, mythology, or literature. In "The Introduction" by Anne Finch, she uses an allusion to convey her ideas. Now, let's look at the options.
1. The allusion used in "The Introduction" is either A) Deborah, an Israelite leader, or B) Muses' art. To identify the correct allusion, we need to analyze the text. In the poem, Finch references a "young Poet, after God's own heart" who is inspired and taught the "Muses Art." This suggests that the allusion being used is B) Muses' art.
2. The purpose of Finch's allusion is either A) to prove her worthiness as a poet, B) to show that in the past, women have been strong leaders, or C) to prove her superiority over men. To determine the purpose, we need to examine the context of the poem. Finch describes a woman leading Israel, fighting, winning, and triumphing with a song. This shows that in the past, women have been strong leaders. Therefore, the correct answer is B) to show that in the past, women have been strong leaders.
So, the correct answers are:
1. B) Muses' art.
2. B) to show that in the past, women have been strong leaders.