Devout Puritans like Anne Bradstreet believed deeply in humility. They thought that all people, whether they were men or women or children, should humble themselves, and avoid clothing or actions or speech that might make them seem proud. (Like, we're really proud of our jean jacket collection, but that would so have to go in Bradstreet's world.) That's actually helpful for understanding the moments where the speaker of "The Prologue" agrees to take a back seat to male poets. Showing that kind of humility, for a Puritan, was not "humiliating" in the negative way we think about it today. Instead, it was a way of showing that you accepted your place in God's divine order.