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In this social verse, Anne Finch continues a 4 line poem that she had written offhandedly and sent to her friend. Throughout the poem, Finch praises herself for her wit. She talks about her capabilities in literature and how it surpasses even her male peers.

Since what was rifled' on the spot

So trivial did appear

Twere better to be gag'd or shot

Then Men that sum shou'd here

Women are often expected to be modest and humble. Self-confidence is seen as an unattractive trait for women to possess. Yet in this poem, Finch is not reluctant to hype herself up. In a society that expects women always to be apologizing for themselves, Finch is not shy to express her pride in her work. She even goes as far as to call out her male counterparts and claim that their wit does not measure up to hers. A poem that she had written on the spot is much better than anything they could ever muster. Finch transcends all heteronormative ideals regarding female self-esteem. She is proud of her work and lets it be known.

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Finch works to debunk all notions of The Spleen being only reserved for women. She presents the idea of depression being an un-discriminatory foe. It can and does affect everyone.

New are thy Motions and thy Dress,
In every one thou dost possess:

Here some attentive secret Friend

Here Finch makes the bold claim that anyone can be inflicted with the spleen. She strives to normalize it and make it less taboo. It can sneak up on us all and therefore we should get rid of all notions that it belongs to only a select group of people.

Thro' the oer-cast and showring Eyes,
Upon the Husband's softned Heart,
He the disputed Point must yield,

Something resign of the contested Field;

'Till Lordly Man, born to Imperial Sway,
Compounds for Peace, to make his Right away

Here Finch showcases various people that the Spleen can affect. She first disrupts gender by letting us know that men can also experience it. It is not due to some biological inferiority that only women posses. Men are just as capable of experiencing instability within their emotions. But then she goes as far as to disrupt class by letting us know that even a Lord born into wealth can be depressed. Much like Hamlet, money does not make you immune to mental and emotional anguish. Depression and mental illness do not discriminate and can creep upon any one of us. To Finch, we are all on an even playing field and must be aware of the dangers of ignorance.

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In this poem, Finch describes the experience of depression and how it affects the body and mind. Due to a lack of knowledge surrounding mental illness during this time period, they referred to depression as the Spleen. The Spleen was considered a female illness and was not taken seriously. Through this poem, Finch works to normalize depression and create conversation surrounding it. Throughout the poem, Finch utilizes nature as a tool to showcase the mental turmoil of the spleen.

Now a Dead Sea thou’lt represent,

A calm of stupid discontent,

Then, dashing on the rocks wilt rage into a storm.

The sea is often a symbol of mental reflection and mental clarity. However, Finch compares the spleen to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is a salt lake with 10 times more salinity than the normal ocean. Making it the saltiest place on Earth and not the safest to swim in. By comparing depression to the Dead Sea, Finch is commenting on how it hinders all mental clarity. In the same way that salt makes the Dead Sea hard to swim in, depression makes it hard for our brains to function properly. Finch also utilizes the image of a storm raging on rocks. Symbolizing how depression disrupts any tranquility in our lives. It also anguish and turmoil. Like a boat caught in a storm, you are steered off course.

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In this poem, Behn describes the relationship between a female speaker and a man referred to as Jemmy. The speaker goes on to talk about how Jemmy captivated her. She says things like “he was the finest swain” and “I could not say him nay”. This showcases a sort of infatuation that not many women of this time discussed. This is pure, unbridled lust. Behn goes on to vividly describe their sexual interactions. The speaker is willing participant and desires Jemmy in every aspect. She has no concern for preserving her purity and is just concerned with her pleasure.

But now for Jemmy must I mourn,

Who to the Wars must go,

His Sheep-hook to a Sword must turn;

Alass! what shall I do.

His Bag-pipe into war-like sounds,

Must now exchanged be,

Instead of Garlands, fearfull Wounds:

Then what becomes of me.

This is the moment that showcases the true nature of their relationship and what the speaker actually wants from Jemmy. It is revealed that Jemmy must leave to go fight in the war. Also leaving the speaker by proxy which causes her to be very upset. But rather than being fearful for Jemmy and his life, she is more upset that she will no longer have anyone to have sexual relations with. This is a very progressive concept because it is very rare that we read about a self-serving woman. A woman who is “selfish” and thinks about herself and what she wants. Typically women are thought of in relation to men. However, in this poem, the woman is her own individual and the man is thought of in relation to her. Their relationship was purely physical and did not subscribe to typical heteronormative ideals. The speaker was not worried about her honor nor was she interested in becoming Jemmy's domesticated housewife. She is just concerned with her own happiness and her own pleasure.

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A Song to a Scottish Tune by Aphra Behn (3)

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A Song to a Scottish Tune by Aphra Behn (3)

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Behn is notorious for her Pastoral poetry. She often writes about the countryside and the love between its inhabitants. In this body of work, Behn showcases the love between the speaker and a woman named Phillis.

Come my Phillis, let us improve,

Both our joy of equal love,
Whilst we in yonder shady Grove,
Count Minutes by our kisses.

Here Behn is examining the freedom in love that is more afforded to the lower classes. Due to them having no obligation to marry for money like the upper classes, the working class is free to look for genuine love. They are allowed to sit under a shady grove with their lover and waste away the day. Love is not seen as a business arrangement for the working class and therefore love can be more genuine. This speaks to the concept of there being a sort of liberation in not having money. Money does not signify the presence of happiness.

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In this poem, we are employed to look from the perspective of a tree in a field. It is under this tree that two lovers convene to have sexual relations. The tree acts as their shield from the elements but is also an active participant.

The Shepherdess my Bark carest,

Whilst he my Root, Love's Pillow, kist;

And did with sighs, their Fate deplore,

Trees often represent fertility, prosperity, and wisdom. They live for very long periods and provide nourishment. By having the lovers convene under the tree, Behn is representing the prosperity of their love. She also strives to present the idea that sex can be used as a method of connection and can further strengthen the bond between the two lovers. Behn creates an oasis away from societal pressures and judgments where the lovers can blossom. The tree aids them in their love and protects them from the pain and consequences of engaging in intimacy.

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In this poem, the speaker describes the task of washing clothing. She takes what seems to be a mundane task and personifies it to represent the intricacies of everyday life. The speaker highlights the emotions she associated with washing when she was young versus what she feels now.

I well remember, when a child, the awe
This day struck into me; for then the maids,

I scarce knew why, looked cross, and drove me from them;

As a young girl, she found washing day to be fascinating and did not understand why the maids she saw washing seemed so unhappy. When she grew, she came to understand how truly disheartening this task was. Throughout history, women have been expected to handle all the housework. The speaker watched the women do the washing when she was younger and she is now responsible for the same task. Barbauld is commenting on the strains of female life. The expectations and stress that is pushed upon you. Every generation of women participates in the act of washing clothes not because of a devotion to cleanliness but rather because of an obligation to serve. The men are nowhere to be found as the women are washing. This is because it is not their job. Men are allowed to go out and explore the world while women are expected to stay inside and maintain the home.

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This poem examines domestic work as a hallmark of the lower class. The act of washing clothes by hand is something that is unique to the working class and would never be experienced by the wealthy. Rather, the upper class hires the lower class and benefits from the fruits of their labor.

But grant the welkin"" fair, require not thou
Who call'st thyself perchance the master there,
Or study swept, or nicely dusted coat,
Or usual 'tendance; ask not, indiscreet,
Thy stockings mended, tho' the yawning rents

To me, this is Barbauld showcasing the various things expected of the working class. "Dirty work" such as sweeping and dusting was only reserved for hired work and would never be the task of a master. By highlighting this, Barbauld showcases the dehumanization of the working class. By only reserving tasks that the wealthy viewed as less than them for the poor, the wealthy also views the poor as less than them. We never read poems about Princess and Queens having to wash clothing for a reason. It is because that task is reserved for people like the speaker who are not given access to relaxation.

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In this poem, Barbauld talks about life in contingence with death. She is grateful life and is excited to experience it but knows that one day it must come to an end. To Barbauld, life is just a jumble of uncertainties and unanswered questions. She utilizes the image of an ocean to express this.

To the vast ocean of empyreal'" flame,
From whence thy essence came,

Dost thou thy flight pursue, when freed
From matter's base encumbering weed?

Like an ocean, life is vast. There are so many paths we can take and so many things we can experience. She utilizes the word "empyreal" which means celestial. Indicating that the presence of life is something bound up in destiny and is bigger than all of us. It is within this fascination with life that Barbauld also expresses her fascination with death. Like the ocean, death is something that can consume. However, Barbauld welcomes it. She is aware that it is unavoidable. Just as we did not choose life, we also have no say in death. And just like life is vast and unexplainable, so is death. Barbauld urges us to acknowledge the importance of our lives and to not fear our inevitable ends.

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In this poem, Baillie describes an average winter day for a working class family in the countryside. She highlights the various roles that men and women must take on during the harsh weather season.

With rueful face he blows the smother'd fire,
And lights his candle at the red'ning coal;

First sees that all be right amongst his cattle,
Then hies him to the barn with heavy tread,
Printing his footsteps on the new fall'n snow.

From out the heap of corn he pulls his sheaves,

The man is responsible for the cattle and the crops. He must brave the harsh weather and tend to their livestock. The idea that men should take on all physical labor has been drilled into our heads since birth. We can all remember an instance in grade school where a teacher needed help moving something and she asked for a "strong boy" to volunteer to help. Strength and bravery are considered to be inherently male traits. However, the man described in this poem is not glad to be doing any of this. His face is described as rueful. This indicates that labor-inducing tasks are not the natural and biological response of the male but rather an obligation put onto him by society.

The fam'ly cares call next upon the wife
To quit her mean"* but comfortable bed.

And first she stirs the fire, and blows the flame,
Then from her heap of sticks, for winter stord,
An armful brings; loud crackling as they burn,

Their busy mother knows not where to turn,
Her morning work comes now so thick upon her.

One she must help to tye his little coat,
Unpin his cap, and seek another's shoe.

When all is oer, out to the door they run,
With new comb'd sleeky hair, and glist'ning checks,

The woman is responsible for maintaining the home and caring for the family. When she rises, she must gather firewood to warm the home and must care for her children. Within our society, housework is hailed as the less noble of the two roles. Men are often hailed for the physical labor they endure while women are undermined and ignored for the labor they endure within the home. Baillie describes her morning work as "thick upon her", indicating that it weighs on her without any consideration for her own desires. Unlike the man who can go out and do whatever without even thinking about the family, she is forced to devote her time to her family. For men, they can only consider themselves while women must consider everyone. Baillie purposefully uses language like "his cattle" to indicate that the man leaves the home due to obligations to himself and his livelihood. Yet "Their busy mother" is used to describe the woman. Indicating an obligation to her family and the removal of her self-agency.

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The experiences described within this poem are unique only to the working class. The wealthy are not expected to brave harsh weather because all labor is done for them. They are able to stay warm in the sanctity of their homes.

Now wakes from sleep at the unwelcome call,
And finds himself but just the same poor man

As when he went to rest.-

He hears the blast against his window beat, And wishes to himself he were a lord, That he might lie a-bed.-

Here Baillie is commenting on how the quality of one's life depends on their class. The man wakes up and wishes that he could just stay in bed. If he were a man of status like a Lord, he could just sleep in. But, he is still the same poor man he was yesterday. Leisure and relaxation are only afforded to the wealthy. They get to enjoy the labor of the working class while staying comfortable in their homes. In times of harsh weather, one must stay inside as it could be detrimental to their health. But, that is not something that is allowed of the working class. They must continue to work even if it is not the safest. Otherwise, they may starve and be unable to support themselves. Within capitalism, our livelihoods are reliant on how much labor we participate in. We must keep working and working until we die.

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Throughout this poem, Baillie utilizes many images within nature to describe the emotions that one may experience during winter. Snow and winter in general often represents death, endings, and struggle. Within this time period, winter is especially harsh as they are without any heat-producing inventions. Many people's livelihood relied on buying and selling crops and cattle. However, these are things that often perish during the winter.

The birds now quit their holes and lurking sheds,
Most mute and melancholy, where thro' night
All nestling close to keep each other warm,
In downy sleep they had forgot their hardships;

Baillie utilizes the personification of a bird to showcase the emotions that are brought by the winter. Winter often creates a sense of helplessness as hardships become even more present and unavoidable. The only thing that one can tether to is sleep as it is the only time when you are not obligated to work. Much like the birds, people desperately seek warmth to stay alive. Not only does winter bring out the death of livestock but it can also kill human beings. We are not immune to the harsh weather. Joanna strives to equalize us in this sense. She is showcasing how all life on earth is affected by winter. We can do what we can to stay safe and healthy but ultimately winter does as it pleases. It is not considerate or kind.