Amelia Lanyer (1569) and Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum (1611)

Amelia Lanyer is recognized for her production and publication of feminist poetry in England. She was born on January 27, 1569 to Baptist Bassano and Margaret Johnson in Bishopsgate, London. Because of her involvement in Elizabethan courts, she became romantically involved with Queen Elizabeth’s lord chamberlain, Henry Carey. After a failed relationship, she ended up marrying one of her cousins and had a daughter who sadly only lived 10 months. Amelia Lanyer is also known for producing the first volume of poems published by a woman, Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum in 1611. The poem translates to “Hail, God, King of the Jews’”. It is a collection of poems, each dedicated to different women. In her poems, Amelia defends women rights using a feminine interpretation of the Bible as her foundation. The volume consists of, To the Doubtful Reader,” “To the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty,” “To the Virtuous Reader,” Eve’s Apology in Defense of Women,” and “The Description of Cookham.” In all of her works, she sheds light on the value women carry, something that was foreign during this time. Specifically, in her poem, Eve’s Apology in Defense of Women, Lanyer challenges the claim that Eve was at fault for the first sin. Her satirical approach conveys much of her emotion and ideas about women’s impact on humanity. Unfortunately, because of the lack of popularity, Amelia Lanyer’s work was not widely recognized until later after her death. Though she may not have received much significance during her life, her work continues to inform and inspire modern-day femininsts and poets today. (259)

“Æmilia Lanyer.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/aemilia-lanyer.

 

British Library, www.bl.uk/collection-items/emilia-laniers-salve-deus-rex-judaeorum-1611.

“Search Media.” Wikimedia Commons, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=amelia%2Blanyer&title=Special%3AMediaSearch&go=Go&type=image.

Allegra Villarreal, Editor. “Aemilia Lanyar: Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum.” Go to the Cover Page of An Open Companion to Early British Literature, 22 Jan. 2019, earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com/chapter/aemilia-lanyar-salve-deus-rex-judaeorum/.

 

Associated Place(s)

Event date:

circa. The end of the month Winter 1569 to circa. Spring 1645