''The Nine Muses, Or, Poems Written by Nine severall Ladies Upon the death of the late Famous

John Dryden '' John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the per ...

, Esq.'' (London: Richard Basset, 1700) was an elegiac volume of

poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...

published

pseudonymously A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

. The contributors were English women writers, each of whom signed their poems with the name of one of the

Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...

s. The collection was edited by

Delarivier Manley Delarivier "Delia" Manley (1663 or c. 1670 – 24 July 1724) was an English author, playwright, and political pamphleteer. Manley is sometimes referred to, with Aphra Behn and Eliza Haywood, as one of "the fair triumvirate of wit", which is a la ...

(who wrote as "

Melpomene In Greek mythology, Melpomene (; grc, Μελπομένη, Melpoménē, to sing' or 'the one that is melodious), initially the muse of chorus, eventually became the muse of tragedy, and is now best known in that association. Etymology Melp ...

" and "

Thalia Thalia, Thalía, Thaleia or Thalian may refer to: People * Thalia (given name), including a list of people with the name * Thalía (born 1971), Mexican singer and actress Mythological and fictional characters * Thalia (Grace), one of the three ...

") and includes pieces by

Susanna Centlivre Susanna Centlivre (c. 1669 (baptised) – 1 December 1723), born Susanna Freeman and also known professionally as Susanna Carroll, was an English poet, actress, and "the most successful female playwright of the eighteenth century". Centlivre's " ...

("perhaps," according to Blain et al.),Blain, Virginia, et al. '' The Feminist Companion to Literature in English: Women Writers from the Middle Ages to the Present''. New Haven/London: Yale UP, 1990.

Sarah Fyge Egerton Sarah Fyge Egerton (1668–1723) was an English poet who wrote in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. In her works ''The Female Advocate'' and ''Poems on Several Occasions'', Egerton wrote about gender, friendship, marriage, ...

Erato In Greek mythology, Erato (; grc, Ἐρατώ) is one of the Greek Muses, which were inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. The name would mean "desired" or "lovely", if derived from the same root as Eros, as Apollonius o ...

", "

Euterpe Euterpe (; el, Εὐτέρπη, lit=rejoicing well' or 'delight , from grc, εὖ, eû, well + el, τέρπειν, térpein, to please) was one of the Muses in Greek mythology, presiding over music. In late Classical times, she was named muse ...

", and " Terpsichore"), Mary Pix ("

Clio In Greek mythology, Clio ( , ; el, Κλειώ), also spelled Kleio, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre playing. Etymology Clio's name is etymologically derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλεί� ...

"),

Catherine Trotter Catharine Trotter Cockburn (16 August 1679 – 11 May 1749) was an English novelist, dramatist, and philosopher. She wrote on moral philosophy, theological tracts, and had a voluminous correspondence. Trotter's work addresses a range of issues ...

(" Calliope"), and

Sarah Piers Sarah, Lady Piers ( fl. 1697 – 1714; died 1719) was an English literary patron, political commentator, and a poet. Her father was originally of Roydon in Yorkshire. She was the daughter of Matthew Roydon and wife of Sir George Piers (1670–172 ...

Urania Urania ( ; grc, , Ouranía; modern Greek shortened name ''Ránia''; meaning "heavenly" or "of heaven") was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy, and in later times, of Christian poetry. Urania is the goddess of astronomy and stars, he ...

"). The poet writing as "Polimnia" (the Muse of Rhetorick) has not been identified; her initials are "Mrs. D. E."

Etext

*Transcription of ''The Nine muses, or, Poems written by nine several ladies upon the death of the late famous John Dryden, Esq'' (1700)
Oxford Text Archive

Notes

References

*Blain, Virginia, et al. '' The Feminist Companion to Literature in English: Women Writers from the Middle Ages to the Present''. New Haven/London: Yale UP, 1990. *Buck, Claire, ed. ''The Bloomsbury Guide to Women's Literature''. New York: Prentice Hall, 1992. 862-863. *Medoff, Jeslyn. "New Light on Sarah Fyge (Field, Egerton)." ''Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature'' 1.2. (Autumn 1982):155-175. *"Urania: The Divine Muse. On the Death of John Dryden, Esq. By the Honourable the Lady P

ers ERS, Ers or ers may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Egyptian Ratscrew or Slap, a card game * Elevator Repair Service, an American theater ensemble Economics and finance * ERS10, a share index of the Serbian Banja Luka Stock Exchange * Eco ...

" ''Kissing the Rod: An Anthology of Seventeenth-Century Women's Verse''. Germaine Greer et al., eds. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1988. 448-451. English poetry 1700 works Greek Muses Literature by women John Dryden {{poetry-collection-stub