Handmaid to Divinity: Natural Philosophy, Poetry, and Gender in Seventeenth-century EnglandIn Handmaid to Divinity, Desiree Hellegers establishes seventeenth-century poetry as a critical resource for understanding the debates about natural philosophy, astronomy, and medicine during the Scientific Revolution. Hellegers provides important insights into seventeenth-century responses to the emergent discourses of western science and into the cultural roots of the current environmental crisis. Drawing on recent cultural and feminist critiques of science, Hellegers offers finely nuanced readings of John Donne’s Anniversaries, John Milton’s Paradise Lost, and Anne Finch’s The Spleen. |
Contents
Francis Bacon and the Advancement of Absolutism | 22 |
Poetry | 67 |
The Fall of Science in Book 8 of Paradise Lost | 103 |
An Anatomy of the Handmaids Tale | 168 |
| 195 | |
| 209 | |
Common terms and phrases
Adam Advancement angel Anne Finch Anniversaries argue argument assertion associated astronomy attack attempts authority Bacon belief body Boyle central century challenges claims common concern contingency corrupt court critics critique cultural demonstrate desire discourse divine Donne Donne's early earth effect England English evident experimental explore fact feminine feminized Finch gender human ideal identified ideology implications implicitly individual interpretation invokes John king knowledge language legitimate limitations lines male masculine material means metaphor Milton monarch moral natural philosophy natural world nevertheless notes observes offers Paradise Lost particular passage patronage perfect play poems poet poet's poetry political position practices prerogative privileged reader reference reflects reform relationship representations represents resistance Restoration rhetoric Robert role Royal Society scientific Scripture seen sense serve seventeenth seventeenth-century sexual shaped social spleen strategies suggests Sydenham theology things truth University viewed Wilkins woman women writings
References to this book
Bibliographic information
| Title | Handmaid to Divinity: Natural Philosophy, Poetry, and Gender in Seventeenth-century England Oklahoma project for discourse and theory. v. 4 Volume 4 of Oklahoma project for discourse and theory: Series for science and culture Volume 4 of Series for science and culture |
| Author | Desiree Hellegers |
| Publisher | University of Oklahoma Press, 2000 |
| ISBN | 0806131837, 9780806131832 |
| Length | 218 pages |
| Subjects | › › Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh Literary Criticism / Poetry Poetry / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh |
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