Early Modern Women Writers

Content

This lecture series on Early Modern Women Writers explores the rich and diverse contributions of women to literature from the 16th to the 17th century.
Throughout the series, we will examine a variety of literary genres that these pioneering women embraced, including love poetry and political poetry, where Katherine Philipps and Aemilia Lanyer gave voice to personal and public concerns alike. We will also explore closet drama, exemplified by Elizabeth Cary's 'The Tragedy of Mariam' (1613), which tackled issues of power, genderand politics, and comedy, a genre Aphra Behn revolutionized, becoming one of the first professional female playwrights in England with works like 'The Rover' (1677).
Beyond traditional literary forms, we will examine genres of life writing that women of this period used to record their personal experiences. We'll look athow women expressed their creativity and practical knowledge in more domestic texts, such as the recipe books by Hannah Wooley and the midwifery manual by Jane Sharp; Margaret Cavendish's memoirs offer insight into her intellectualworld, while Lucy Hutchinson gives an account of marriage during the Civil Wars(1642-1649) that actually reads like a Jane Austen novel; Elizabeth Bourne'sletters record her struggle for separation from an abusive husband; Agnes Beaumont's prophecies couple religious radicalism with emancipation; and AnneBradstreet's poems and diaries reflect the intimate struggles of a Puritan wifeand mother in the New World.