The Female Advocate
Sarah Fyge at the young age of fourteen wrote one of her most important works in response to Robert Gould's satire against women: Love Given O'er, or a Satyr against the Pride, Lust and Inconstancy, &c of Woman. After reading the unjust and harsh words of Gould, young Sarah felt compelled to write a response in order to correct him of his "debauchery" and "blasphemy". Fyge's poem was never intended to be published, but without her permission her friends submitted it to the press causing a great controversy at the time. The poem was officially published three years after in 1686; in her first book "Poems on Several Occasions". A second edition was published a year later, due to the fact that Fyge was concerned that many uncorrected mistakes were found in the first one, and also she re-worded many of the lines she felt she had been too harsh in. The public release of this poem made Fyge lose the love of her Father, and was "banished" from her home. In the following verse found in her first book she expresses how she felt about this issue: "Without Design of Publication writ, And Innocence supply'd the want of Wit. But Ah! My poetry, did fatal prove, And robb'd me of a tender Father's love (Poems, p.22)
In 1700 she married her second cousin, Reverend Thomas Egerton, adopting his name. Also, she accuses him of being the cause of many women committing adultery. Fyge at this point is clarifying that Adam is as guilty as Eve, and for this the man she is addressing should not accuse Eve of being the cause of everything. She then tells him that God would not be at all content with the arguments he has been making because everything He made, for him were glorious and that without the creation of women, men were not complete . Every thing that she needs to say to him will be said, and she will prove that all of his assumptions are wrong. She specifically criticizes him for saying that women are not fit for heaven, and that men are, coming from someone who does not follow any of his Church's rules. 4)The reader at this point can feel the author's hatred towards this man, who has tried to dirty women's name. The reader has no doubt about weather the point of the poem was understood or not, the author is very precise and clear with getting her ideas across easily. Learning more about Fyge, her feminists' ideas, and her passion to defend women's rights, compliment with the reading of the poem, because the information confirms the readers assumptions of why had the poet written such a strong and angry piece. 13) Fyge also expresses her concern about the fact that women are used as "Scape-goats" by men, and that they are falsely blamed for sins humanity as whole have committed. After the discussion on Creation, she moves along to address other points he has made.
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