Mary Jones's "Epistle to Lady Bowyer" has some themes in common with Mary Leapor's "Epistle to Artimesia," which we read earlier in the semester. Or does it? Can one identify common ideas about the poetic vocation across these two poems, or do they occupy entirely different realms of literary experience?
Deadline: Saturday (3/12), midnight.
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There are some similarities between the two poems. For one thing both poems are addressed to the women in their lives that support their writing, Leapor’s poem is addressed to Bridget Freemantle, while Jones’s poem is addressed to Anne Stonehouse. Both poets also explain their thoughts on fame. Mary Leapor questions whether or not the famous should be pitied, giving the example of a Hero needing continuous praise and acknowledgment for his triumphs. While Jones addresses all the reasons why she doesn’t want to be famous , which include not wanting to keep up with the social scene and simply not finding any excitement in seeing her work in print. However, while Jones only seems interested in writing for herself and her friends, Leapor seems to want her work to be appreciated by the masses. I came to this conclusion when she goes around asking people for constructive criticism on her work. She wants the criticism and doesn’t like it when her friend Vido says how great of a writer she is because she wants to improve her writing, whereas Jones thinks her writing is too good to be judged by a shoeman. It seems as though Jones thinks her writing is too sacred to be read let alone judged by everyone, while Leapor seems to be striving for everyone to be able to read her writing.
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