GENDER AND VOICE IN SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY ENGLISH POETRY: FROM METAPHYSICAL TO POLITICAL EXPRESSION

Abstract

This article examines the construction of gender and poetic voice in seventeenth-century English poetry, tracing a development from metaphysical introspection to overt political expression. Through close readings of John Donne, George Herbert, and Andrew Marvell, the study explores how poetic voice articulates individual subjectivity, religious tension, and philosophical inquiry. The article further situates poetic production within the political upheavals of the English Civil War and the Interregnum, highlighting the emergence of politically engaged voices. Particular attention is given to women poets such as Anne Bradstreet and Katherine Philips, whose works negotiate gender constraints while asserting authorial presence. The study argues that poetic voice in this period becomes a site where gendered identity, authority, and political consciousness intersect.