The Poems of Aemilia Lanyer

by Aemilia Lanyer

Book Overview

Aemilia Lanyer (1569-1645) was the first woman poet in England who sought status as a professional writer. Her book of poems is dedicated entirely to women patrons. It offers a long poem on Christ's passion, told entirely from a woman's point of view, as well as the first country house poem published in England. Almost completely neglected until very recently, her work changes our perspective on Jacobean poetry and contradicts the common assumption...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 019508361X
• ISBN13: 9780195083613
• Release Date: September 1993
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Refreshing Woman Writer of the Renaissance

In Aemilia Lanyer's only volume of published poems, SALVE DEUS REX JUDAORUM, this Renaissance author uses beautifully crafted poetry to defend women against prevailing negative female stereotypes of the time. In "Eve's Apology," this portion of the poem is spoken from the point of view of Pontius Pilate's wife, who is begging for the life of Christ. She explores who really bares the guilt in original sin. She is passionate, yet uses reason in her argument (something women were not thought cabable of doing) and makes her point that any guilt all women may bear in original sin will be far overshadowed by the guilt men, in turn, may bear for Pilate's order to execute Christ. In addition, in "To the Virtuous Reader", Lanyer states that her purpose in writing is to praise women, and to make it known that they are not all lazy, gossiping, lecherous, deceitful, or stupid as most men of the time supposed. She includes a list of virtuous women to encourage and praise other women to use them as exemplum. If you are interested at all in a female writer's perspective on Renaissance ideas, I highly recommend Aeilia Lanyer's beautiful poetry.