READING DESIRE IN THE PASTORALS OF ELIZABETH SINGER ROWE

Abstract

Elizabeth Singer Rowe (1674–1737) was a prolific writer in her day who was actively engaged in the writing world of London and who made credible literary contributions that are in need of redress. Following in the tradition of Isaac Watts (1674–1748), Rowe is perhaps best known for her divine poems, particularly her biblical paraphrases and hymns. Yet it does Rowe a disservice to read her exclusively through the lens of religiosity, for in doing so we overlook the depth and complexity of her poetry. Rowe is a complicated poet, and while positioning her within a literary camp is nearly impossible, undeniably she was a pastoral poet. Although to date no scholarship treats Rowe specifically as such, the sheer volume of pastoral poems within her poetic oeuvre suggests that her attraction to the form was clearly a preoccupation. As a pastoral poet, Rowe made contributions to the form that differ from her male contemporaries. Specific points of departure include her thematic range and variety, and her complication of the pastoral narrative and its figures. Rowe uses the pastoral to explore female desires that might otherwise be silenced, and she pushes the limitations of the form by infusing elegiac and confessional qualities, making the pastoral conducive for personal discovery and lament.