101 POEMS BY 101 WOMEN
edited by
GERMAINE GREER
ff
faber and faber
Contents
To the Reader ix
The ballad which Anne Askew made and sang when she
wasiriNewgate ANNE ASKEW 3
To my friend Master T. L. whose good nature I see
abused ISABELLA WHITNEY 6
[untitled] QUEEN ELIZABETH I 8
Psalm 82, Densstetit MARY HERBERT, COUNTESS OF
PEMBROKE 9
The Description of Cookham ^ M I L I A LANYER I I
Song LADY MARY WROTH
l8
Chorus from The Tragedy ofMariam ELIZABETH CAREY,
VISCOUNTESS FALKLAND 19
To William Drummond of Hawthornden MARYOXLEY
OFMORPETH
21
A Muzzle for Melastomus RACHELSPEGHT 23
[autobiographicalpoem] ELEANORWYATT 24
An Answer to my Lady Alice Egerton's Song LADYJANE
CAVENDISH 2 9
TomyHusband 'ELIZA' 30
A retired friendship, to Ardelia KATHERINE PHILIPS 31
The Author to her Book ANNE BRADSTREET 33
The Hunting of the Hare MARGARET CAVENDISH,
DUCHESS OF NEWCASTLE 3 4
A Song to excite spiritual Joy ANCOLLINS 38
OnMy Boy Henry LADY ELIZABETH EGERTON, COUNTESS
OF BRIDGEWATER
41
Upon the sight of my abortive birth the 31st of December
I 6 5 7 MARY CAREY 42
Verse LUCY HUTCHINSON 46
In Imitation of Horace APHRABEHN 49
Song ELIZABETH TAYLOR 50
ToJ.G. EPHELIA 51
AnEpistle MARYMOLLINEUX 53
My Fate ANNEWHARTON 55
To a very young Gentleman at a Dancing-School
ELIZABETH SINGER, later ROWE 56
Upon the Saying that My Verses were made by Another
ANNE KILLIGREW 57
AVirginLife JANE BARKER 60
TheLiberty SARAH FYGE, later FIELD, later EGERTON 62
TotheLadies MARY, LADYCHUDLEIGH 64
Verses written on her Death-bed at Bath to her Husband in
London MARYMONCK 65
The Forsaken Wife ELIZABETH THOMAS 66
A Nocturnal Reverie ANNE FINCH, COUNTESS OF
WINCHILSEA 67
An Answer to a Love-letter in Verse LADY MARY
WORTLEYMONTAGU 69
Wedlock. A Satire MEHETABEL WRIGHT 71
A Prayer for Indifference FRANCES GREVILLE 73
Sonnet. December Morning ANNASEWARD 76
Written near a port on a dark evening CHARLOTTE
SMITH
77
January, 1795 MARYROBINSON 78
The Rights of Woman ANNA LETITIABARBAULD 80
Casabianca FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS 82
Mary had a little Lamb SARAH JOSEPHA HALE 84
Thoughts on my sick-bed DOROTHY WORDSWORTH 85
Lines of Life L.E.L. 87
He saw my heart's woe CHARLOTTE BRONTE 91
[untitled] EMILY BRONTE 93
The Convent Threshhold CHRISTINA ROSSETTI 94
Myheartandl ELIZABETHBARRETTBROWNING 99
[untitled] EMILY DICKINSON I O I
Battle Hymn of the Republic J U L I A W A R D H O W E 102
A Clever Woman MARY ELIZABETH COLERIDGE 103
The Mother's Charge CHARLOTTE PERKINS
GILMAN IO4
Parentage ALICEMEYNELL 106
The Quiet House CHARLOTTE MEW 107
SongMaking SARAH TEASDALE I I O
The Fired Pot ANNA WICKH AM 111
FullMoon VITA SACKVILLE-WEST 112
TheSisters AMYLOWELL 113
Let no Charitable Hope ELINORWYLIE 119
[Sonnet] EDNA ST VINCENT MILLAY 120
TheCrows LOUISEBOGAN 121
Four in the Morning EDITHSITWELL 122
Fragment Thirty-six H.D. (HILDA DOOLITTLE) 124
Resume DOROTHYPARKER 127
Poetry MARIANNE MOORE 128
Infelice STEVIE SMITH 130
[Sonnet] VALENTINE ACKLAND 131
Who in One Lifetime MURIEL RUKEYSER 132
the mother GWENDOLYN BROOKS 133
The Stockdove RUTH PITTER 135
He is more than a hero MARYBARNARD 137
The Centaur MAY SWENSON 138
The Colossus SYLVIAPLATH 141
Woman with Girdle ANNE SEXTON 143
To Another Housewife JUDITHWRIGHT 144
Bad Dreams FREDADOWNIE 146
No more Boomerang OODGEROO, OF THE CLAN
NOONUCCAL I 4 8
TheMutes DENISE LEVERTOV 150
Summer Song for me and my Aunts PATRICIABEER 152
[untitled] KATHLEEN RAINE 153
Against Coupling FLEURADCOCK 154
Howltls MAXINEKUMIN I56
Warning JENNY JOSEPH 158
Growing ELIZABETH JENNINGS 159
One Art ELIZABETH BISHOP
160
The Photos DIANE WAKOSKI 161
On a night ofthe full moon AUDRELORDE 163
Thoughts after Ruskin ELMA MITCHELL 165
Only a Small Death u. A. FANTHORPE 167
A man is following m e . . . JENNIFER RANKIN 169
Calliope in the labour ward ELAINE FEINSTEIN 170
Phenomenal Woman MAYA ANGELOU 171
Closed Order GAY CLIFFORD 173
There is a Desert Here ELIZABETH BARTLETT 175
The Sea Anemones GWENHARWOOD 177
I Wouldn't Thank You for a Valentine
LIZ LOCHHEAD 178
Stubborn RUTHFAINLIGHT 180
Bloody Bloody ANNE STEVENSON 182
To the Days ADRIENNERICH 184
Lullaby LOUISEGLUCK 185
Valentine CAROL ANN DUFFY 186
Morning in the Burned House MARGARET ATWOOD 187
Acknowledgments 189
Index of Poets 193
Index of first Lines 195