Isabella Whitney

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Isabella Whitney (b. 1540s?) is the earliest identified woman to have published poetry in the English language.

[edit] Biography

Most of what we "know" of Isabella Whitney's life is based on speculation from her poetry, which was often addressed to family members. Her brother, Geoffrey Whitney, was an emblem book writer in London, and she had at least four other siblings. She may have been born in Cheshire, and may have been a servant to an upper-class or aristocratic family.

[edit] Works

The Copy of a Letter, Lately Written in Meter by a Young Gentlewoman: to her Unconstant Lover (1567)
A Sweet Nosegay or Pleasant Posy: Containing a Hundred and Ten Philosophical Flowers (1573)