Analysis of To the Ladies.

Lady Mary Chudleigh 1656 (Devon) – 1710



WIFE and servant are the same,
 But only differ in the name :
 For when that fatal knot is ty'd,
 Which nothing, nothing can divide :
 When she the word obey has said,
 And man by law supreme has made,
 Then all that's kind is laid aside,
 And nothing left but state and pride :
 Fierce as an eastern prince he grows,
And all his innate rigour shows :
Then but to look, to laugh, or speak,
Will the nuptial contract break.
Like mutes, she signs alone must make,
And never any freedom take :
But still be govern'd by a nod,
And fear her husband as a God :
Him still must serve, him still obey,
And nothing act, and nothing say,
But what her haughty lord thinks fit,
Who with the power, has all the wit.
Then shun, oh ! shun that wretched state,
And all the fawning flatt'rers hate :
Value yourselves, and men despise :
You must be proud, if you'll be wise.


Scheme AABBBBBBCCDEEEBBFFBBBBGG
Poetic Form
Metre 1010101 11010001 11110111 11010101 11010111 01110111 11111101 01011101 11110111 0110111 11111111 101011 11110111 01010101 11110101 01010101 11111101 01010101 11010111 110101101 11111101 0101011 10010101 11111111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 862
Words 160
Sentences 5
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 24
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 641
Words per stanza (avg) 167
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 30, 2023

49 sec read
165

Lady Mary Chudleigh

Mary Chudleigh was an English poet. Part of an intellectual circle that included Mary Astell, Elizabeth Thomas, Judith Drake, Elizabeth Elstob, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, and John Norris, in her later years, she published a book of poetry and two books of essays, all dealing with feminist themes; two of her books went through four editions during the last ten years of her life. Her poetry about human relationships and reactions has been anthologized ever since, and her feminist essays are still being reprinted. more…

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