Witch-Burning

"Witch-Burning" by Mary Elizabeth Counselman is a poem that dramatically recounts the burning of a witch at the stake and vividly depicts the tragic end of a young woman accused of witchcraft in Bingham Square, capturing the terror of the accused and the fervor of the accusers. As townsfolk gather, their hatred and scorn are shown through a cursing woman and a stone-throwing vendor, contrasting the brutal act with the witch’s fear and composure. The poem shows the raw violence of the execution, and how the witch’s anguished cries linger in the memories of the onlookers long after her body is gone.