The Bride

"The Bride" by Samuel Rowlands is a poem written in the early 17th century, specifically around 1617. It is primarily a dialogue poem that explores themes related to marriage, virginity, and women's roles in society. Through the voices of various characters, it addresses the contrasting lifestyles and responsibilities of married women versus unmarried maidens, providing insight into the social dynamics of the time. The narrative unfolds in a dialogue form where the Bride advocates for the joys and virtues of marriage, challenging the hesitant maidens who express their preference for single life. In response, the maidens voice various concerns about fidelity and the nature of men. The poem references the legendary birth of Merlin to illustrate the consequences of pride and disempowerment through single life. Ultimately, the Bride articulates eight key duties of wives in nurturing harmonious marriages, emphasizing loyalty and partnership. While it may not reach great poetic heights, Rowlands' work offers a glimpse into the societal expectations and gender roles prevalent in the early 17th century. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Samuel Rowlands was an English author of pamphlets in prose and verse which reflect the follies and humours of lower middle-class life in his day. He seems to have had no literary reputation at the time, but his work throws much light on the development of popular literature and social life in London, where he spent his life. His contact with the middle and lower classes of society included working in 1600–1615 for William White, and then George Loftus, booksellers, who published Rowlands's pamphlets in this time.