An On Women By Mary Leapor - Essay Example

An Essay on Women By Mary Leapor Written in Horatian essay form of satire, this poem deals with a general theme and that is the character of women. Then, formally, the poem alludes harsh satire of Pope’s “Of the Character of Women: An Epistle to a Lady” which was published in 1735 and Mary Leapor observed this in a couple of varied forms before her death. Pope was the famous poet at times when Leapor embraces death in 1746. Mary Leopor who is considered as first female laboring-class poet (Jones 224); depicts a very gloomy picture of women’s manifestation of the world, in the peom, she points out that ‘education’ cannot lessen the sufferings of women as social disorder is inculcated in the structure of the society. The poem was written in the social settings of eighteenth century when women were evaluated only on the basis of their beauty and physical features. “An Epistle to a Lady” carries a pessimistic world view regarding the empowerment or emancipation of womenfolk and find way out to get rid of the social norms and values that were against womenfolk (Ehrenpreis 86). Basically, the poem is voice of a female in which injustices done with women are enumerated and discussed. It is full of emotions and cries for help to get rid of male dominated society. “An Epistle to a Lady” can also be declared as the history of womenfolk in the eighteenth century which is filled with injustices and brutalities on women. Womenfolk cannot change their destiny through education or other efforts as they had been on the disadvantaged side in the society. They have been born ill-fated and their wisdom, vision and struggle to raise their status in the society are fruitless. The poetess paints the objects of nature like sea and sky etc. very artistically which depicts her love for the nature. In vain, dear Madam, yes in vain you strive; Alas! to make your luckless Mira thrive, For Tycho and Copernicus agree, No golden Planet bent its Rays on me. Being a woman, Mary Leapor was in better position to understand the problems and emotions of her folk. Copernicus, one of the famous sages, even agrees with the poetess that “no golden planet bent its rays on me”. In these lines the word ‘rays’ carries the meaning of luck or good fortune and ‘golden planet’ may stands for ‘God’. The overall conclusion that can be drawn from these lines is ‘pessimism’ regarding life. It is manifested in the above stanza that she had no hope to escape from the grief and sorrows of the life. Marry Leopor was caught by despair and she surrendered before the unending sufferings of her life. Actually, she was not telling her story alone instead representing the whole womenfolk. The work ‘luckless’ has significant contextual meanings. It implies that it was not only society that was responsible for her sufferings but she has no luck also. As far as the phenomenon of luck is concerned, it is not social instead of showing divine will. The pessimism of Mary reached at such extent that she was unable to see any ‘ray of hope’ for getting the justice. In this stanza, Mary Leopor writes that even if she strives for bringing changes in her life that will be fruitless. In this stanza and other stanzas of the poem, the poetess uses her name ‘Mary’ in perfect rhythm and flow. The practice was also enhanced the overall impact of the poem. Mary Leapor (1722-1746) was born in Marston St. Lawrence, Northamptonshire. She was the best English poet of her time. She was illiterate, although attended some training at a Dame school, or from a free school (Brooks et al 124). Her father reveals that she resorted to write poetry; when she was ten year old. Instead of encouraging her for outstanding talent she has, her mother insisted her to join ‘more profitable employment’. Mary started her first job as kitchen maid at house of Susanna Jennens. She was a noble woman and after seeing her natural talent allowed to use her library which had wide range of books. Susanna Jennens was herself a good poetess and well connected with the other female writers of the time like Mary Astell and Lady Mary Wortley Montague. She returned her home in 1744 to look after her aged father and at this juncture of life Bridget Freemantle became her friend and mentor. Upon proposal of Freemantle, she tried to publish her work but before publication died due to measles at the age of twenty-four (Sage 382). It was Bridget Freemantle who arranged the publication of her poems in 1748 which were bought by six hundred people. After three years, second volume of her poetry and drama was published which was gained much appreciation from the intellectual circles. The biographical notes reveal that the poetess belongs to the lowest strata of the society and moreover a civil was going on at those times. Moreover, the poem depicts the environment of eighteenth century in general and plight and women in particular. The life sketch of poetess was miserable. She was merely a maid with opposition from all sides including the opposition by her mother regarding poetry. Besides, the nature had bestowed her with sensitivity due to which she feels injustices of society and nature at great length. The poem’s physical structure is marvelous. The stanzas of the poem are divided wisely on the basis of thoughts. Thoughts or stanzas begins with basic idea and then reach at climax before resorting to basic idea again. It is one of the well-knitted poems of Mary Leapor. The length of the lines in the poem is not equal. It varies in different stanzas and even within single stanza. If the poem was written in open form, then it allows the poetess to ponder upon the thought perfectly instead of dealing with the technical matters of the poetry. If the poem is sonnet, the poetess can use it for her advantage also as the sonnets have ability to express every types of feelings and emotions. Lyrical approach is also beneficial for these types of poems because natural flow of words or thoughts can be developed easily (Luboff and Pete 86). Mary Leapor had expertise in Rhyme type of poems and this is the reason that the under discussion poem had become a success story for the poetess. After reading the poem, it seems that the poetess not only knows the art of poetry very well but also used it in the poem artistically. Repetition of different words and her pen name make the poem more poetic. Many poetic devices had been used by Mary Leapor in “An Epistle to a Lady”. Out of which five different uses are being explained here. Allusion: “For Tycho and Copernicus agree”. Copernicus is an illusion as it was a scientist of fame. Apostrophe: “Ah no -- tho Heavn brings near the final Day”. Heaven and final day is used as apostrophe as Mary Leapor directly addresses those absent ‘abstract’. Assonance: “Tis twenty Winters, if it is no more”. The poetess had used five assonances in single line and it follows the consonants immediately. Consonance: “To speak the Truth it may be Twenty four”. The alphabet‘t’ had been used in this line repeatedly. Euphemism: “Thousands may enter through the Gates of Death”. In this line death which is an unpleasant reality of life had been discussed pleasantly. The use of poetic devices suggests that Mary Leapor had well versed with the art of poetry and successfully used many techniques of poetry in this poem. She used a large number of poetic devices in this poem besides the above mentioned expressions. The poem successfully reveals the social atmosphere of 18th century with particular reference to the plight of the women. It was the era of renaissance. Old belief system was being challenged and new dimensions and meanings for life were emerging. It was basically a transitory era when the rigid ideologies were being challenged by the philosophers, scientists and poets. As the writer of this poem is a lady, so she depicts the female feelings in the poem in artistic manners. The major aim of Mary Leapor was to criticize the social structure and barriers that were hindering the progress of women of those times which she done elegantly. The poem touches the hearts of the readers and in some stanzas forces him or her to weep. It also captures the imaginations of sensitive readers and binds her or him to ponder upon the plight of the women. Womenfolk were considered merely sex objects in eighteenth century and even in twenty-first century; the society did not mend its ways and therefore the poem is still relevant (Women Writers n.p.). Segregation of profession for females is a stigma on the face of the society which is manifested in the subject poem. Moreover, education is imparted to modify human behavior but in eighteenth century it had failed to perform its role. Education neither changes the mentality of man nor was women emancipated through it. This fact is painted in the beautifully. In nutshell, the poem had accomplished its purpose successfully that’s why it is still alive even after the lapse of three centuries. Work Cited Brooks, Joanna, Lisa L. Moore, and Caroline Wigginton. Transatlantic Feminisms in the Age of Revolutions. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. Internet resource. Ehrenpreis, Irvin. Acts of implication: suggestion and covert meaning in the works of Dryden, Swift, Pope, and Austen. Univ of California Press, 1980. . Web. 27 June 2014 Jones, Vivien. Women and Literature in Britain, 1700-1800. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2000. Print. Luboff, Pat, and Pete Luboff. 101 Songwriting Wrongs and How to Right Them: How to Craft and Sell Your Songs. Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer Digest Books, 2007. Print. Sage, Lorna, Germaine Greer, and Elaine Showalter. The Cambridge Guide to Womens Writing in English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. Print. Women Writers. "“An Epistle to a Lady” « Women Writers, 1660-1800." WOMEN WRITERS, 1660-1800: EXPLORING AUTHORIAL ADVENTURES IN THE LONG EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. Word Press, 24 Feb. 2013. Web. 27 June 2014. . An Epistle to a Lady In vain, dear Madam, yes in vain you strive; Alas! to make your luckless Mira thrive, For Tycho and Copernicus agree, No golden Planet bent its Rays on me. Tis twenty Winters, if it is no more; To speak the Truth it may be Twenty four. As many Springs their pointed Space have run, Since Miras Eyes first opend on the Sun. Twas when the Flocks on slabby Hillocks lie, And the cold Fishes rule the watry Sky: But tho these Eyes the learned Page explore, And turn the pondrous Volumes oer and oer, I find no Comfort from their Systems flow, But am dejected more as more I know. Hope shines a while, but like a Vapour flies, (The Fate of all the Curious and the Wise)  For, Ah! cold Saturn triumphd on that Day, And frowning Sol denyd his golden Ray. You see Im learned, and I shewt the more, That none may wonder when they find me poor. Yet Mira dreams, as slumbring Poets may, And rolls in Treasures till the breaking Day: While Books and Pictures in bright Order rise, And painted Parlours swim before her Eyes: Till the shrill Clock impertinently rings, And the soft Visions move their shining Wings: Then Mira wakes,-- her Pictures are no more, And through her Fingers slides the vanishd Ore. Convincd too soon, her Eye unwilling falls On the blue Curtains and the dusty Walls: She wakes, alas! to Business and to Woes, To sweep her Kitchen, and to mend her Clothes. But see pale Sickness with her languid Eyes, At whose Appearance all Delusion flies: The World recedes, its Vanities decline, Clorindas Features seem as faint as mine! Gay Robes no more the aching Sight admires, Wit grates the Ear, and melting Music tires: Its wonted pleasures with each sense decay, Books please no more, and paintings fade away, The sliding Joys in misty Vapours end: Yet let me still, Ah! let me grasp a Friend: And when each Joy, when each lovd Object flies, Be you the last that leaves my closing Eyes. But how will this dismantld Soul appear, When strippd of all it lately held so dear, Forcd from its Prison of expiring Clay, Afraid and shivring at the doubtful Way. Yet did these Eyes a dying Parent see, Loosd from all Cares except a Thought for me, Without a Tear resign her shortning Breath, And dauntless meet the lingring Stroke of Death. Then at th Almightys Sentence shall I mourn: "Of Dust thou art, to Dust shalt thou return." Or shall I wish to stretch the Line of Fate, That the dull Years may bear a longer Date, To share the Follies of succeeding Times With more Vexations and with deeper Crimes: Ah no -- tho Heavn brings near the final Day, For such a Life I will not, dare not pray; But let the Tear for future Mercy flow, And fall resignd beneath the mighty Blow. Nor I alone -- for through the spacious Ball, With me will Numbers of all Ages fall: And the same Day that Mira yields her Breath, Thousands may enter through the Gates of Death. Mary Leapor Read More