Emilia Lanyer (1569-1645)
Lanyer, born in 1569, was the first
Englishwoman to both publish and making a living from her poetry: her single
volume of poems, Salve Deus
Rex Judaeorum. This volume of poems features a myriad of poetic
verse, ranging from series of poems, a poem on Christ’s Passion (which,
notably, is written completely from a feminine perspective), and the first
published country-house poem. Her work has been considered proto-feminist; as
Poetry Foundation asserts referring to Dus Rex Judaeorum, “all of its
dedicatees are women, the poem on the Passion specifically argues the4 virtues
of women as opposed to the vices of men.” This poem, which also titles Lanyer’s
collection of poems, is significant for its satirical tone explicating the
story of Christ’s Passion entirely from the women that surround Christ. Exploring
the genealogy of women is another theme that becomes present within Lanyer’s
work. Her work explores the relationship between mother and daughter, and how
the genealogy of women began with Eve. Lanyer also advocated for the
interconnectivity between the material world, spritiual world, and women, using
spirituality to supplement meaning in a woman’s life. This ideal originates
from Lanyer’s intrinsic belief conveyed in her life and writing that women
should be raised to the same standard as men.
Lanyer was associated with Margaret, Countess of Cumberland. “The
Description of Cookeham” relays this interconnectivity between Margaret and
Lanyer, praising the pastoral landscape in which Lanyer depicts a community of
religious and educated women. Her volume of poetry was given to Prince Henry by
the countess of Cumberland. Lanyer has also been identified as Shakespeare’s
“Dark Lady” that has made an appearance in several of his Sonnets. Sources: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/aemilia-lanyerhttps://www.poemhunter.com/aemilia-lanyer/biography/
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