Abraham Cowley

MD makes skilful use of letters to project character, political issues, and gender interaction. Her use of significant dates (All Saints' Day, November the fifth) links her with the prophetic tradition of Lady Eleanor Douglas

Thomas Lawrence , in his elegy, aspires to inherit LJC 's poetic gift, by seizing her discarded mantle (as Elisha in the Bible did the prophet's mantle of Elijah). In view of recent critical debate...

AB 's poems were mostly opportunistic in some way, seizing the chances offered her, either by projects of literary colleagues or by royal or other grand occasions, to make some money. She makes much use...

JB writes to one male friend (my Adopted Brother) on his approaching marriage, not to congratulate but to dissuade. She reflects her intimate knowledge of the work of Katherine Philips and Abraham Cowley

These poems succeed in making the Christian life of resignation and unselfishness into a series of heroic trials and combats. MA has the makings of a fine poet in the grand style; she evidently learned...