In Anne Bradstreet's “The Prologue” and “The Author to Her Book," explain how she furthers the concept of women's abilities and...

What a coup for women—the first American poet to be
published was a woman.  Anne Bradstreet served as a woman to be admired.  Despite living
in man’s world and the severity of the Puritan religion, Bradstreet used her cleverness
to function outside of the accepted place of women in seventeenth century
America.

“The Prologue” expresses the struggles faced by
the women in Puritanical society.  Women were meant to stay in the home, raise the
children, and serve her husband.  Considered to have little ability in anything other
than the familial life, women were treated as incapable and unequal to the task of
writing. 

Bradstreet stands against this philosophy and
avows that women can do what men believe is solely their bailiwick---write poetry. To
Bradstreet, her responsibility was to prove that women were not the coy, fickle, foolish
mediocrities portrayed by men.  She was unafraid to criticize the Puritans with a
sardonic wit and the use of classical writing
style.

Clearly, Bradstreet disagrees with the stereotypical
version of the woman’s place:

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I am obnoxious to each carping
tongue

Who says my hand a needle better fits, 
A
poet's pen all scorn I should thus wrong, 
For such  despite they cast on
female wits.

The clever poem
“The Author to Her Book”  treats the poem as though it were her errant child.  She
compares the author to a parent who has worried over and loved her poetry.  When a child
goes out into the world, the parent can hope that he has prepared him for what he will
face.  The same is true of the poem.  Will it be understood, accepted, and
respected?

Part of style in the poem is to assume the role
of a less than able writer.  The poem has not always responded in an effective way.  She
calls her work “my rambling brat” revealing the negative side of writing and parenting.
However, like any parent or writer, the child or work still belongs to her and she loves
it despite its flaws.   She does edit the work and amends it to more reflect her own
personality.

Bradstreet uses personification to elicit a
positive response from the reader.  She worries over her book just as a parent shows
anxiety when the child is to be judged.

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Thy visage was so irksome in my sight; 

Yet being mine own, at length affection would 
Thy blemishes
amend, if so I could: 
I wash'd thy face, but more defects I saw, 

And rubbing off a spot, still made a
flaw. 

The parent finds fault
with the child just as the author is never completely satisfied with his writing.
Bradstreet’s witty portrayal of the complexities of writing and worrying about its
acceptance cleverly transcends gender and the Puritan harshness toward
women.