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Kissing the Rod: An Anthology of 17th Century Women's Verse
Kissing the Rod An Anthology of 17th Century Women's Verse Author:Germaine Greer This anthology is intended to fill one of the many gaps in our knowledge of women's literary activity by presenting the work of some 45 17th-century poets. Many of their names have been forgotten over the centuries; others have in recent years become more familiar, among them Aphra Benn, Katherine Philips, Anne Bradstreet, Catherine Trotter Cock... more »burn, Bathsua Makin and Elizabeth Melville. Together and individually, their poems project an image of women's struggle in the 17th century: of their suffering in and after childbirth, of the dual role of religion as liberator and enslaver; of modesty as safeguard or destroyer of women's individuality; of women in and out of the family; of women whose courage took many forms, from open rebellion against the moral code to martyrdom for their faith. With an extended introduction by Germaine Greer, which sets out the cultural and political background, this is an addition to the canon of both 17th-century studies and of women's literature.« less