Poems by Katherine Philips

Biography

Katherine Philips, known as "The Matchless Orinda," is a famous author known for founding The Society of Friendship. The writings of Philips are similar to that of Mary Sidney Herbert. The Society of Friendship was a literary correspondence circle of friends who took pseudonyms. Well over half of Philips' work was dedicated to Anne Owen, also known as Lucasia, and a member of The Society of Friendship. Philips and Owen obviously shared a deeply emotional relationship, but whether or not their relationship was physical remains unknown. Philips said during her lifetime, the love between women was a pure love, platonic love uncorrupted by sexual desires. 

Poems

Friendship's Mystery, To my Dearest Lucasia:

• This poem uses a lot of love and religious language
• Alchemical metaphors are present in this poem
• Alchemy: the conversion of base metals to gold by using "the philosopher's stone"
• Just as Philips describes turing metal into gold, Philips also uses this metal transformation as a metaphor for religious transformation in a person
• Throughout our lives, we move from un-pure to pure

On the Welsh Language:

• Philips says name and reputation are important
• Philips describes England's overtaking by Rome
• Rome conquered Athens and Britain in the 14th century
• Philips asks, "What Wales gave to England?"
• A beautiful language
• Philips asks, "When one country crushes another, what is left?"
• This is the type of poem typically written by a man

Epitaph:

• This poem is written to Philips' son who died six weeks after birth
• Philips' son broke through the prison shell of Earth
• Philips must have had a difficult life because the pressure of not having a male heir as a "high-born" woman for seven years would be socially and culturally difficult
• God may have called Philips' baby home because he was too good for this world
• "The Prison" is the human, physical body
• In this poem, God is the Alchemist converting Philips' baby into Heaven

Poems by Mary Wroth

Biography

Mary Wroth is an English poetess of the Renaissance period. Wroth was born into a family of distinguished authors and Wroth continued the family tradition, becoming one of the first female English authors to establish a well-known literary standing. Like Mary Sidney Herbert, Wroth took on several lovers in her lifetime. Women were judged by their sexuality and bodies in this time period. Wroth often references the Bible, because in this time, the Bible was an infallible authority to the women of this time to authorize their craft. You could not evoke any more power than from a divine figure such as God in this time period. Mary Wroth often references Hell and damnation in her works because at this time, many people were being burned at the stake for their beliefs and actions. Other than Queen Elizabeth I, Mary Wroth was the most important female writer at this time. Some of Wroth's most notable works are "The Countesse of Mountgomeries Urania" and "Pamphilia to Amphilanthus."

Poems

Pamphilia to Amphilanthus: 4:

• Wroth is lusting after a young man she is watching
• Wroth is full of lust and desire in this poem
• Wroth is very jealous in this poem, which likely stems from her lust and desire for power, not emotional attachment

Pamphilia to Amphilanthus: 17:

• Wroth describes how invested she is in her relationships
• She tells how she establishes her authenticity through her body
• Mary often references shade in this work, which is very sexualized, like a grotto

Pamphilia to Amphilanthus: 19:

• Wroth is physically or metaphorically discussing her leaving of a place
• Mary is very sad and melancholy in her description throughout this work
• Wroth is describing her sad state of being

Poems by Mary Sidney Herbert

Biography

Mary Sidney Herbert was one of the first English women to achieve major recognition for her literary works. Mary wrote translations of 107 different Psalms, which were songs of Jews about suffering and lamenting. The Bible was an infallible authority to women of this time period in the authorization of their craft. Mary's family was very aristocratic, as her father was Sir Philip Sidney and her brother Philip was a famous courtier in his lifetime. Although Mary Sidney Herbert's writings are not as suggestive as Mary Wroth's writings, like Wroth, Mary Sidney also took a lover in her lifetime. After the death of Mary's brother Philip, Mary dedicated most of her career to Philip's memory. 

Poems

O:

• Mary discusses the importance of sacrifice 
• Mary asks God to show her his ways and direct her life
• Mary says she will avoid evil and not stray from God's will

Psalm 102:

• Mary says even in her saddest days, she looks to God for guidance
• She acknowledges that God has an eternal presence
• Mary says God's own world will one day perish

Psalm 150:

• Mary discusses the need to praise God with music, especially instruments
• Letting your love of God be known is very important

Psalm 51:

• Mary is asking God to send her His grace
• She is asking God to cleanse her and wipe her sins away
• Mary acknowledges her sins and asks that God spare her of the consequences of her sins
• Mary asks God to unlock her lips so that she may sing His praises

Psalm 55:

• Mary asks God to listen for her prayers
• Mary says she will cast her burdens on God's shoulders

Psalm 57:

• Mary is crying for God to extend his mercy from Heaven

Psalm 84:

• Mary says she desires to see the view of God from His high courts
• Mary says the man whose household is founded on God's word will be the most successful
• She says God is like the shining sun

To the Angel Spirit if the Most Excellent Sir Philip Sidney:

• Mary says this work is dedicated solely to the inspirational spirit of her brother Philip

[The Doleful Lay of Clorinda]:

• Mary is asking where she can direct her grief to relieve her heart of pain
• Mary says death is the devourer of all the world's delight
• Mary says when we are mourning the death of others, we are really mourning for our own sorrows and miseries 

Poems by Queen Elizabeth I

Biography

Queen Elizabeth I is an early woman writer who may not have been the most talented, but her poems have deep meaning and her skill is still apparent. She was known for her great intelligence and ability to translate in 5-6 foreign languages. Elizabeth never married, which may be attributed to the fact that she was sexually abused as a child and surrounded by poor marriages her entire life. Elizabeth's misfortunes did not end with her sexual predicaments, as her own sister Mary attempted to have Elizabeth killed for supposedly committing treason. Throughout her teenage years, Elizabeth is imprisoned at Woodstock and The Tower of London for her crimes against her sister Mary. 

Poems

Ah, Silly Pug, wert thou so Sore Afraid: 

• Elizabeth assured her dog she won't be swayed by money and she will take care of the dog no matter her financial situation
• The dog may have been Elizabeth's only friend and way to vent her frustrations and worries as dogs are loyal to their owners
• Elizabeth's dog may have been frightened by the coming and going of soldiers in Elizabeth's confinement time

In Defiance of Fortune:

• Elizabeth explains that virtue will always prevail over fortune

On Monsieur's Departure:

• This poem discusses Elizabeth's lifelong struggle to cope with the fact that her interest in marriage will never bear fruit as her position as a monarch would cause too much political controversy should her marriage go awry 
• In addition to the potential political controversy, Elizabeth acknowledges that she has trust issues from previous bad sexual relationships 
• The issue of marriage is not only hard for Elizabeth mentally, but also socially because it is very dangerous for a woman to be a monarch and in Medieval times, it is considered to be unnatural for a woman to be unmarried

The Doubt of Future Foes:

• Elizabeth acknowledges that she likes when men fight in her honor, but currently she has no men that she needs to fight for her 
• The Pope said whoever killed Elizabeth would go straight to Heaven for their deed

When I Was Fair and Young:

• Elizabeth says in her youth she was fair and beautiful and enjoyed the attention from suitors that these attributes brought her
• Elizabeth enjoyed the flattering comments and gestures, but only to a certain point, then they disgusted her

Written in her French Psalter:

• Elizabeth notes that no physical deformity is half as unattractive as a shady, untrustworthy individual with questionable motives

Written on a Wall at Woodstock:

• Woodstock was one of Elizabeth's palaces
• In this poem, Elizabeth is showing a desire for vengeance against her violent sister Mary
• The alcoholic beverage "Bloody Mary" came from Mary's murderous tendencies against countless Protestants 

Written with a Diamond on her Window at Woodstock:

• This poem was carved into a window at Woodstock with a diamond as Elizabeth probably did not have access to a writing utensil in her imprisoned state 
• Many of the people who overthrew Mary said they were doing it in Elizabeth's honor, even though Elizabeth had nothing to do with her sister's demise
• This poem explains that although much was suspected of Elizabeth, Elizabeth was innocent with regards to her sister's overthrowing 

The Wife of Bath's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Wife of Bath's Tale is a tale about a woman who has been married five times and is on the hunt for husband number six. The woman is a self-described expert in marriage and desires sovereignty over her husbands. Throughout the tale, the woman is very mouthy and enjoys talking about her marital experiences.

The woman states that her favorite virtue is power, which she seeks through her body. In the tale, the woman misinterprets the Bible in order to justify her marital conquests. She says just like King Solomon, she should be able to have many spouses. According to the woman, wives should not be required to submit to their husbands as commanded by Saint Paul. To say the least, religion and marriage are not painted in a great light in this tale & prologue.

It becomes apparent that the Wife of Bath may behave the way she does because of past sexual experiences. It was stated that the woman married at 12 after her husband lusted after her and she became pregnant. The wife apparently was abused in the past as well, although she shows the most sympathy for the husband who abused her to most.

The Wife of Bath finished her tale by stating that if a man wants to have power over his wife, curse him for such a request. 

The Franklin's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer

The undertone of "The Franklin's Tale" by Chaucer starkly contrasts the undertone of Chaucer's "The Clerk's Tale." The Franklin's Tale describes marriages as a mutual, humorous arrangement, while The Clerk's Tale describes marriage as a one-sided, subservient arrangement where the wife should serve her husband. 

In the Franklin's Tale, Arveragus promises never to be jealous of his wife Dorigen, as their marriage was defined by great amounts of trust. One of the only similarities between the two tales is that both wives are willing to die to honor their husbands. 

This tale emphasizes the importance of keeping one's word, especially in Medieval times. Arveragus told Dorigen the worst thing you can do is promise a man something because promises in this period were believed to be tied to the fate of one's soul. Because Aurelius completed Dorigen's assigned quest, Dorigen is bound by chivalric code to enter courtly love with Aurelius. Arveragus has no problem telling Dorigen to honor her commitment to Aurelius because he knows that if Dorigen sleeps with Aurelius, the couple is breaking chivalric code which may be punishable by Aurelius' death. 

Conclusively, we are supposed to pity both Aurelius and Dorigen in this tale for their love that was not meant to be. 

"Medieval Marriages" Documentary

The documentary "Medieval Marriages" helped me build connections between the modern interpretations of medieval marriage history with the lais of Marie de France and "The Clerk's Tale" by Geoffrey Chaucer. This documentary helped clarify topics brought up in our reading that were hard to interpret such as divorce, consummation of marriage, marital abuse, and social class differences. The following comparisons between the documentary and our readings are listed below:

• In "The Clerk's Tale", Walter wanted a divorce, but the documentary told us that even nobles could not easily divorce.
• In "Chevrefoil", Tristram and his Queen often met in order to quench their physical desire for one another, which the documentary states was common for those in unhappy marriages to do in Medieval times.
• In "Chaitivel", the castrated knight is not able to maintain relations with his lady because he cannot consummate their marriage. The documentary cites inability to consummate a marriage as a viable reason for seeking a divorce in Medieval times.
• Abusive relationships such as the one in "Laustic" were hard to leave in Medieval times according to the documentary, trapping both the abuser and abused individuals.
• "Yonec" confirmed the notion that nobles should seek to have male heirs to inherit their wealth as the documentary states that having a daughter inherit familial wealth was not encouraged.
• The documentary stated that it is forbidden for a spouse to remarry unless given special permission by the church, which contradicts the actions of Biclavret's wife, who takes a new husband after Bisclavret's disappearance.
• The documentary repeatedly made the point that marriages in Medieval times were about what each party could financially bring to the table. In "Le Fresne", the relationship between the noble prince and Le Fresne would be considered socially acceptable because of the apparent class differences of the individuals involved in the relationship. 
• Marriage in Medieval times was very easy for couples to enter into, but very difficult for couples to exit regardless of the reasoning behind the request for divorce. This notion was displayed in "Equitan", as all the couple had to do in order to enter into marriage was exchange rings and vows.

In conclusion, the documentary highlights how easy it was for a couple to be considered married, but how difficult it was to complete a divorce. 

The Clerk's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer

I thought this e-card was appropriate for The Clerk's Tale because Lord Walter was somewhat of a politician and he fooled Griselda multiple times. If Lord Walter was a modern man, he would make a great congressman!

The Clerk' s Tale discusses the life of Lord Walter, who is a bachelor enjoying the freedoms of a man with no dependents. Lord Walter's people desperately want him to get married, but he wants such an occasion to naturally fall into place at his leisure. Walter does not want a forced marriage based around finances like other nobles, as such setups are common as one climbs up the noble ranks.

Walter decides to marry a beautiful, but financially humble maiden named Griselda. Walter proposes to Griselda on the condition that she will remain faithful to Walter no matter the tests he puts Griselda through. This is an important component of their marriage because as Walter continues to test Griselda, she maintains her class and faith in their marriage. 

It is believed that Chaucer wanted the reader to resent Walter's ways just as Walter's people did. Also, this tale was possibly meant to show that that forced marriage is bad as Walter was clearly uncomfortable with traditional marriage and had been very set in his bachelor ways. Ultimately, this tale shows that just as Walter tested Griselda, so will God test His people. 

Getting Around in Medieval Times

After watching "Tristan and Isolde" in class, I was amazed by all of the modes of transportation displayed in the film. People of all classes traveled extensive distances in Medieval times. In Medieval times, people traveled mainly by foot, ship, horse, or carriage among many other modes of transportation. Horses were much smaller in Medieval times than they are now.

• Methods of travel as designated by class:
• If you were in the upper class, you may travel by:
• Horseback
• Covered wagon
• Ship
• Powered by sails or oars
• If you were in the middle or lower classes, you may travel by:
• Horseback
• By foot
• Ship
• Powered by sails or oars
• Knarrs
• Used early in Medieval times to transport cargo
• This ship type was featured in "Tristan and Isolde"
• Trade-Cogs
• Had one mast, steep sides, and a flat bottom
• Used for military transportation and as warships
• The Hulks
• Flat-bottomed
• Lacked stern and sternposts
• Used mostly in rivers and canals, not oceans
• Caravels
• Used in late Medieval times
• Used for exploration voyages
• Used lateen sails for greater speed and the ability to sail toward the wind
• Christopher Columbus' ships the Nina and Pinta are examples
• Carracks
• Used in late Medieval times
• Larger than Caravels
• Christopher Columbus' ship the Santa Maria was an example 
• Galley ships
• Used in early Medieval times
• Used for trade, welfare, and piracy
• Propelled by rowing 
• Longships
• Made famous by the Vikings
• Used for transportation, trade, and commerce, and welfare
• Were light and therefore very fast
• These ships were double ended, allowing them to change they course very quickly