Redeeming Eve : Women Writers of the English Renaissance

An introduction to women writers of the English Renaissance which takes up 44 works, many as thumbnail sketches; shows how women's writing was hampered by the assumption that poets were male, by restriction to pious subject matter, by the doctrine that only silent women are virtuous, by criticism that praised women as patrons or muses and ignored their writing, and above all by crippling educational theories. Originally published in 1987. The **Princeton Legacy Library** uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905. An introduction to women writers of the English Renaissance which takes up 44 works, many as thumbnail sketches; shows how women's writing was hampered by the assumption that poets were male, by restriction to pious subject matter, by the doctrine that only silent women are virtuous, by criticism that praised women as patrons or muses and ignored their writing, and above all by crippling educational theories. Originally published in 1990. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905 CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION PART I: “The sturdy foundations” ONE. Learning and Virtue: Margaret More Roper TWO. A Challenge to Authority: Anne Askew THREE. Building the City: Women Writers of the Reformation FOUR. Piety and Poetry: Isabella Whitney, Anne Dowriche, Elizabeth Colville, Rachel Speght PART II: “Mighty towers and strong bastions” FIVE. The Divine Poet: Mary Sidney, Countess of Pembroke SIX. The Making of a Female Hero: Joanna Lumley and Elizabeth Cary SEVEN. The Feminization of Praise: Aemilia Lanyer EIGHT. Heroic Virtue: Mary Wroth's Urania and Pamphilia to Amphilanthus PART III: “Lofty walls all around” NINE. Redeeming Eve: Defenses of Women and Mother’s Advice Books AFTERWORD ABBREVIATIONS NOTES LIST OF WORKS BY WOMEN, 1521–1624 Index