ENGL200A Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Katherine Philips, Commonwealth Of England
Document Summary
Writing in the period of civil war. English commonwealth period between the death of charles the first and coronation of. Timeline: 1649 when charles the first is executed (regicide, 1651 end of civil war, parliamentarians and puritans win, 1660 transition into restoration (18th c) Raised presbyterian; becomes anglican after restoration (via media: middle way ) a common change in the nation. Poems circulated among friends before they were published (writing groups) Emblem: sweet and moral symbol a picture; intended for instruction, comprehensible to many, and not too common or obvious. Two emblems burning bush/flame & compasses. A conversation about friendship rhyming couplets = couple. Relation to donne (valediction) taking a male poem about hetero marital love and changing it to a woman"s poem. Political commentary written by a woman a political statement in itself. Regicide is a problem embarrassed by puritanical enthusiasm. Here is a cause that will excuse the breach of nature"s laws writing about politics as a woman.
