Bradstreet, Anne. "The Flesh and the Spirit".

Summary and Analysis

- an allegorical poem of 108 lines in 2 stanzas

- rhymes AABB with slight irregularities

The first person narrator presents a dialogue of two sisters musing on the things past and things to come which she overheard. One sister is called Flesh: wonders why her sister Spirit lives on meditations; herself fixed on worldly wealth and vanity; tempts her to follow her, to reach honor, to have monuments erected with her name, to get treasures of gold.

Spirit says that though the two are twins, her own father is God but Flesh's father is Adam. Flesh will remain always her enemy and she will never let herself be seduced by Flesh's sweet words. She refuses worldly pleasures and addresses Flesh as if she were a devil himself. She describes the treasures of her soul which are far superior to those of Flesh.

Spirit describes the heavenly city of New Jerusalem according to the Book of Revelation. This city is not open for Flesh, for she is unclean, but if she will be allowed to enter the city, Flesh can take the world and all that she wishes.