"Rosania to Lucasia on her Letters"
By
Katherine Philips
Transcription, correction, editorial commentary, and markup by Students and Staff at The University of
Virginia, John O'Brien, Sara Brunstetter
Title"Rosania" refers to Mary Aubrey, a friend of
Philips's from childhood. "Lucasia" refers to Ann Owen, who was Philips's
closest friend and the person to whom many of her poems are addressed. This
poem, unusually, sees Philips takes the voice of someone other than herself,
imagining two members of her coterie writing to each other.CheckeredCheckered or full of alteration and varying
character (Oxford English Dictionary).n004than
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Rosania to Lucasia on her LettersTitleTitle"Rosania" refers to Mary Aubrey, a friend of
Philips's from childhood. "Lucasia" refers to Ann Owen, who was Philips's
closest friend and the person to whom many of her poems are addressed. This
poem, unusually, sees Philips takes the voice of someone other than herself,
imagining two members of her coterie writing to each other.
1Ah strike outright, or else forbear,
2Be more kind, or more severe;
3For in this checquer'dCheckeredCheckeredCheckered or full of alteration and varying
character (Oxford English Dictionary). mixture I
4Cannot live, and would not die,
5And must I neither? tell me why?
6When thy Pen thy kindness tells,
7My heart transported leaps and swells.