"from Pamphilia to Amphilanthus: Song 5" (Lady Mary Wroth, 1621)

 

 

 

 (image credit: allpoetry.com)

About Lady Mary Wroth

"Lady Mary Wroth was the first Englishwoman to write a complete sonnet sequence as well as an original work of prose fiction. Although earlier women writers of the 16th century had mainly explored the genres of translation, dedication, and epitaph, Wroth openly transgressed the traditional boundaries by writing secular love poetry and romances."

"The eldest daughter of Sir Robert Sidney and Lady Barbara Gamage, Wroth was probably born on October 18, 1587, a date derived from the Sidney correspondence. She belonged to a prominent literary family, known for its patronage of the arts. Wroth was influenced by some of her uncle's [Sir Philip Sidney] literary works."

"The only record of Wroth's death occurs in a Chancery deposition of 1668, in which the event is said to have occured in 1651, or more likely in 1653. No literary works survive from the last 30 years of her life." 

To read more about Lady Mary Wroth and read some of his poems, refer to poetryfoundation.org/poets/mary-wroth.

 "from Pamphilia to Amphilanthus: Song 5" (Lady Mary Wroth, 1621) 

Time only cause of my unrest

By whom I hop’d once to bee blest

    How cruell art thou turned?

That first gav’st lyfe unto my love,

And still a pleasure nott to move

    Or change though ever burned;

Have I thee slack’d, or left undun

One loving rite, and soe have wunn

    Thy rage or bitter changing?

That now noe minutes I shall see,

Wherein I may least happy bee

    Thy favors soe estranging.

Blame thy self, and nott my folly,

Time gave time butt to bee holly;

    True love such ends best loveth

Unworhty love doth seeke for ends

A worthy love butt worth pretends

    Nor other thoughts itt proveth:

Then stay thy swiftnes cruell time,

And lett mee once more blessed clime

    To joy, that I may prayse thee:

Lett mee pleasure sweetly tasting

Joy in love, and faith nott wasting

    And on fames wings I’le rayse thee:

Never shall thy glory dying

Bee untill thine owne untying

    That time noe longer liveth;

T’is a gaine such tyme to lend:

Since soe thy fame shall never end

    Butt joy for what she giveth.

 

 

Response Poems:

 

Note: one student wrote a response poem but requested to not be listed and so it is not shown here. 

 

"Untitled" (subbie, Uni High, 2026)

 

        Hello to shadows that once deceived,

        To promises broken, dreams unperceived.

        Your true embrace, a fleeting guise,

        A masquerade that masked true skies.

        I bear the chains of your honest vow,

        More illusions to bind me now.

        In truth's clear light, I find my right,

        A dawn reborn from shades of white.

        Goodbye to love that went unveiled,

        To hollow words behind that had once failed.

        With courage in my heart, I move on,

        Embracing dawn, and fears long gone.