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