Egerton, “The Emulation” read by Mary Kate Markano
Source: UMW Download Title
Say, tyrant Custom, why must we obey
The impositions of thy haughty sway?
From the first dawn of life unto the grave,
Poor womankind’s in every state a slave,
The nurse, the mistress, parent and the swain,
For love she must, there’s none escape that pain.
Then comes the last, the fatal slavery:
The husband with insulting tyranny
Can have ill manners justified by law,
For men all join to keep the wife in awe.
Moses, who first our freedom did rebuke,
Was married when he writ the Pentateuch.
They’re wise to keep us slaves, for well they know,
If we were loose, we should soon make them so.
We yield like vanquished kings whom fetters bind,
When chance of war is to usurpers kind;
Submit in form; but they’d our thoughts control,
And lay restraints on the impassive soul.
They fear we should excel their sluggish parts,
Should we attempt the sciences and arts;
Pretend they were designed for them alone,
So keep us fools to raise their own renown.
Thus priests of old, their grandeur to maintain,
Cried vulgar eyes would sacred laws profane;
So kept the mysteries behind a screen:
Their homage and the name were lost had they been seen.
But in this blessèd age such freedom’s given,
That every man explains the will of heaven;
And shall we women now sit tamely by,
Make no excursions in philosophy,
Or grace our thoughts in tuneful poetry?
We will our rights in learning’s world maintain;
Wit’s empire now shall know a female reign.
Come, all ye fair, the great attempt improve,
Divinely imitate the realms above:
There’s ten celestial females govern wit,
And but two gods that dare pretend to it.
And shall these finite males reverse their rules?
No, we’ll be wits, and then men must be fools.
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ELizabeth Papoulakos wrote:
This was one of my favorite poems listed on our course syllabus, and in turn one of the most enticing on this forum! Mary Kate did an excellent job conveying the voice of Egerton, which is needless to say inspiring to all women. Like many of the “feminist” poets during the restoration period, Egerton quite literally mocks the institution of marriage and uses words such as “fetters” that ultimately enslave women into the constraints and suppression by the patriarchal standards of the time. I especially enjoyed the lines where Egerton asks the reader questions; which in turn prompts any female activist to take charge of her life and assume an active position for her sex. I am pleased that one of my classmates chose this poem in particular to read, because I feel that it conveys the once- silenced voice of women all around the world.
Posted on 19-Mar-08 at 9:28 am | Permalink
Jackie Connors wrote:
I really enjoyed listening to Mary Kate read this poem. When reading it to myself I had difficulty following the author’s voice, but she did a fantastic job of breaking up the stanzas in ways that made sense, yet weren’t choppy or sudden. I agree with Elizabeth in that I really enjoyed Egerton’s poetry, and I think it was necessary to be read by a woman. Although some of the specific societal constraints Egerton speaks of are not per say such issues today, the overall theme of the poem is timeless, and Mary Kate did a fantastic job of allowing Egerton’s ideas to continue to come through her words and affect readers today.
Posted on 24-Mar-08 at 10:25 am | Permalink