Introduction
Lady Mary Wroth was one of the most distinguished writers of the 16th century. Born in a time and age where most women were illiterate, she had the benefit of high education, time, and tutors that helped her grow into the writer she became. Her range of literary arts was wide, ranging from drama to love poetry and Romans, with her most famous works being Love’s Victory, Urania, and Amphilanthus. During her life, she gained notoriety for publishing Urania, which depicted the exploits of various nobles in a hidden, fictional form (Rumens). The subjects of love, passion, human connection, and emotion were the primary themes in Lady Wroth’s writing. The purpose of this presentation is to analyze these themes in one of her poems, titled “In this Strange Labyrinth.”
In this Strange Labyrinth
“In this Strange Labyrinth” is a sonnet written by Lady Mary Wroth. It was revolutionary in the 16th century to apply the virtue of constancy, which is considered a female virtue, to both partners. Another innovative theme (for the Renaissance era) explored by Lady Wroth was that of the imperfection of human feelings. It is likely that this particular subject was one she experienced closely on a personal level, as her marriage with Sir Robert Wroth was unhappy. The sonnet describes the confusion with one’s own feelings, comparing it to a maze. She describes the struggle akin to that of a woman trapped in the Minotaur’s dungeon. Wroth uses the poem’s title and its relation to the myth, symbolism, and structure to communicate her message about the tortures of love.
One of the poem’s clearest struggles is that of choice. The person from whose perspective the poem is told is constantly veering left and right without direction and struggles to find the right way. This symbolizes both a person blinded by passion as well as the struggle of having to make choices. Unlike marriage, which in the 16th century England was out of the woman’s hands, it was her choice on who to love and experience feelings for. Making such choices was difficult since the tradition back then was for men to make decisions and for women – to obediently follow. Thus, the overarching theme of this poem is the struggle for control of one’s own heart and one’s own fate. The other theme depicted in the poem is that love is not as pure and chaste as one depicts, and it demonstrates a struggle between passionate desire and “Godly thoughts.” Thus, the poem does not only portray women as people with the agency but also challenges the religious view of relationships in general.
Conclusion
Lady Mary Wroth deserves her enduring legacy. She was brave enough to dare to write about subjects that her peers would have deemed her scandalous. Her stance for female agency in the matters of love and subtle opposition against the puritan views of Christianity were demonstrated in “This Strange Labyrinth.” The struggle between passion and tradition humanizes her story and portrays a deeper connection, possibly rooted in her own struggles. Although much of the underlying social sub-context is inapplicable today, the idea of love being a maze with no obviously wrong or right choices can and will endure the test of time.
Work Cited
Rumens, Carol. (2019). Poem of the week: From a crown of sonnets dedicated to love by Lady Mary Wroth. The Guardian.