Katherine Philips

Katherine Philips was one of the first women in England to acquire fame through writing, which was unheard of at this time. She addressed poems of love and companionship to the women in her circle. In her poem, " An Answer to Another Persuading a Lady to Marriage" the title speaks for itself on the content of the poem. Philips talks about women and the correct way to propose to a woman. Philips also takes into consideration the role of women at this time, "She should dispose her self to be a pretty household god?" This rhetorical question is asking if women should be expected to devote their time to just being a housewife; obviously with this being a rhetorical question, she is not expecting an answer, but rather she wants the reader to take a moment and consider this. Philips expresses that women are not just on this earth to cook, clean, and care for the household, but they can also be intelligent human beings, like Philips herself. All in all, she is expressing that women are not just housewives but they are valuable members to society. This can say that Katherine Philips could possibly be considered a feminist.