On a day of overwhelming stress and lack of care for myself, I was given this poem as a gift to see that my own work had been published. This was a monumental moment for me and when I first received it, I stared at my name and had felt accomplished. This poem was given to me by a dear friend, Frank Jermyn. Frank is important in my life as he was our first friend after starting a photography business. He has always been supportive of our work and has been a calming presence during times of uncertainty and unease. On one side of the poem was an engraving of what appeared to be my sisters, myself, and Frank. It appears we are all playing lawn tennis. This image sparks joy as it shows all of us connected. We had to work together and support one another especially during the beginning of the business. During the chaos and inconsistency of the business, Frank’s warm friendship and presence was a constant. He shared one of my first feelings of success in writing when he gave me this paper with my poem. All of the blood, sweat, and tears I had put into writing finally paid off, but Frank assured me to not get on a high horse. This item was something new as I had never been published. Before starting the photography business, I aspired to be a writer. As the business grew, my focuses shifted from writing to photography. Even though I was submerged in the new business, it was rewarding to see my previous work get recognition as that pushed me to work harder and try to be more successful.
Editorial Commentary:
This poem is an important defining item for Gertrude and her work as a writer. She is goal oriented and a perfectionist in her work, so when she faced rejection from editors, it motivated her to work even harder. On a particular difficult day for Gertrude, she was able to see her hard work pay off when Frank gave her published poem as a gift. Gertrude held more modern ideals than other Victorian women where she pursued a career. During the Victorian era, it was uncommon for women to work towards a career, so those that did were viewed as modern women. One common job that these modern women took was a writer. These women would write about their role in society and challenge traditional ideals. Their works were monumental in the change of women’s perceived role and were eye opening for the close minded citizens wrapped around sexist ideals. Now, essays, books, and articles introduced the idea of the “New Woman” and contrasted it to the “Angel in the House ideal.” The “Angel in the House” is described as a woman more submissive to her husband bound by domestic duties. Her role was to be a good mother, wife, and housekeeper. Many published books, essays, and articles discussed the “Angel in the House” and outlined her as a model for what Victorian women should be like. However, the works that modern women wrote introduced the “New Woman” who was characterized by her rejection to those traditional roles. As more and more modern women became writers and open about the “New Woman,” society’s fixed ideals were challenged to a point of revolutionizing attention from the Victorian government.
Citation:
Levy, Amy. “A Game Of Lawn Tennis Poem.” Internet Poem Poems, 1888,
internetpoem.com/amy-levy/a-game-of-lawn-tennis-poem/.