A married state by Katherine Phillips:
A Married State – Katherine Phillips
A married state affords but little ease:
The best of husbands are so hard to please
This in wifes Carefull faces you may spell,
Tho they desemble their misfortunes well
A virgin state is crown'd with much content,
It's allways happy as it's inocent
No Blustering husbands to create your fears,
No pangs of child birth to extort your tears,
No children's crys for to offend your ears,
Few worldly crosses to distract your prayers
Thus are you freed from all the cares that do
Attend on matrymony and a husband too.
Therefore, madam, be advised by me:
Turn, turn apostate to love's Levity.
Suppress wild nature if she dare rebell,
There's no such thing as leading Apes in hell.
Overview
A satirical poem warning women about the burdens of marriage.
The speaker praises the freedom and happiness of virginity (or single life).
Marriage is portrayed as a source of stress, fear, and lost autonomy.
Encourages women to resist societal pressure to marry and stay independent.
Challenges traditional gender roles and expectations in a witty, subversive way.
Key Quotes:
“A married state affords but little ease”
“A virgin state is crown’d with much content”
“Thus are you freed from all the cares that do / Attend on matrimony and a husband too”
Underlying Meanings
Critique of marriage: Highlights the emotional and physical costs of being a wife and mother.
Praise of chastity/independence: Elevates the single woman's life as peaceful, content, and spiritually focused.
Feminist undertone: Challenges patriarchal norms by suggesting women are happier outside male control.
Irony and wit: Though serious in message, the poem is laced with irony (e.g., “best of husbands” being difficult).
Key Quotes:
“No Blustering husbands to create your fears”
“Suppress wild nature if she dare rebell”
“Turn, turn apostate to love’s Levity”
Poetic Techniques
Rhyming couplets: The entire poem is written in heroic couplets (AA, BB, CC), creating a formal, persuasive rhythm.
Satirical tone: Uses exaggeration and irony to mock the ideal of marriage.
Juxtaposition: Contrasts the "misfortunes" of marriage with the "innocence" and "content" of virginity.
Key Quotes:
“This in wives Carefull faces you may spell”
“No pangs of child birth to extort your tears”
“Few worldly crosses to distract your prayers”
Literary Techniques
Allusion: The final line references a superstition that unmarried women would “lead apes in hell” as punishment – the speaker dismisses it mockingly.
Imperative language: Commands like “be advised by me” and “suppress wild nature” show strong persuasion.
Metaphor: “Love’s levity” personifies romantic love as a fickle force not to be trusted.
Key Quotes:
“Turn, turn apostate to love’s Levity”
“There's no such thing as leading Apes in hell”
“Suppress wild nature if she dare rebell”
Structure
Single stanza of rhyming couplets: Reflects clarity and control, reinforcing the speaker’s firm opinion.
Logical progression: Moves from observation (wives’ unhappiness), to contrast (virginity’s joy), to final advice.
Balanced and symmetrical: The structure supports the clear contrast between marriage and single life.
Key Quotes:
“Attend on matrimony and a husband too”
“It’s always happy as it’s innocent”
“Therefore, madam, be advised by me”