The Introduction
Feminism is not a new concept because many female public figures of the past raised the question about womenâs role in society. One of Anne Finchâs poems, âThe Introduction,â talks about female writers of her time in the first twenty lines of her text. Finch sarcastically presents gender rights and the absence of them: âAlas! A woman that attempts the pen, / Such an intruder on the rights of menâ (Finch, âThe Introduction,â lines 9-10). She seems to be incensed by the traditional role that the male-dominated world assigned women: âGood breeding, fashion, dancing, dressing, play / Are the accomplishments we should desireâ (Finch, âThe Introduction,â lines 14-15).
Furthermore, men of her time tried to convince ladies that writing, reading, and thinking âwould cloudâŚbeauty, and exhaustâŚtimeâ (Finch, âThe Introduction,â line 17). Indeed, the first twenty lines of this poem openly criticize sexism, stating that women are equally intelligent and talented to men. Still, the established order of that time discouraged many of them from publishing their works.
The second part of Finchâs âThe Introductionâ discusses the role of females in biblical texts. Although people no longer believed in the authenticity of those events, she claims that women of the ancient world were leaders who fought equally with men (Finch, âThe Introduction,â lines 45-50). The poet is surprised by the fact that the society that she lived in replaced noble values with discriminatory beliefs: âHow are we fallen by mistaken rules? / Debarred from all improvements of the mindâ (Finch, âThe Introduction,â lines 51-53). Indeed, the poemâs last stanza calls women to remain truthful to their skills even if they have to live in the shadow. To conclude, Finchâs main point in this poem is that the unfair distribution of gender roles restrained women from striving for an education. The philosophy of equality of female and male intellectual abilities marks her as an early feminist.
A Nocturnal Reverie
Anne Finchâs âA Nocturnal Reverieâ is less aggressive in delivering a feministic message than âThe Introduction.â The poem describes the countryside utilizing complex word combinations and temporal transitions. Still, the author uses masculine and feminine pronouns to veil the gender gap that existed during her time. For instance, she chooses an owl to highlight that women are wise; therefore, they can become menâs advisors: âOr from some tree, famed for the owlâs delight, / She, hollowing clear, directs the wanderer rightâ (Finch, âA Nocturnal Reverie,â lines 5-6). Using the example of partridge that calls âto her straggling brood,â Finch wants to demonstrate mothersâ essential role in raising children (Finch, âA Nocturnal Reverie,â line 36). Furthermore, in this line, she shows that humanity became lost in false beliefs about male superiority and womenâs inability for any intellectual work.
The second half of the poem talks about male tyranny and womenâs freedom in a veiled form. Specifically, Finch describes how all these animals celebrate âtheir short-lived jubileeâŚ/âŚwhilst tyrant man does sleepâ (Finch, âA Nocturnal Reverie,â lines 37-38). Moreover, the poet aims to show that women are born free; thus, they should not be restrained by all the stereotypes, imposed on them by the society: âTill the free soul to a composedness charmed, / Joys in thâ inferior world, and thinks it like her ownâ (Finch, âA Nocturnal Reverie,â lines 43, 46). Although the background theme of the poem lacks blunt feminist ideas, the main message about female-male silent confrontation is concealed behind these several lines.
Works Cited
Finch, Anne, Countess of Winchilsea. âA Nocturnal Reverie.â The Broadview Anthology of British Literature: Concise Edition, Volume A. 2nd ed., edited by Joseph Black, et al. Broadview Press, 2011, p. 1253.
Finch, Anne, Countess of Winchilsea. âThe Introduction.â The Broadview Anthology of British Literature: Concise Edition, Volume A. 2nd ed., edited by Joseph Black, et al. Broadview Press, 2011, p. 1249.