The ‘Anonymous Lady’
Scholars generally identify Martha Fowkes Sansom as the ‘Amorous Lady’ of the Barbados Gazette.
A series of poems by the ‘Anonymous’ or ‘Amorous’ lady were published in “The Barbados Gazette” between 1732 and 1738. Her identity is never revealed by the newspaper’s editor, however, the ‘Lady’ was most likely a well-known poet in London during the 1720’s. Why and how her poems found their way to Barbados is a mystery, but like Aphra Behn, the poet defied conventions and challenged the restrictions imposed by her male counterparts. Her poems have frequently been compared to John Donne because of their metaphysical characteristics.
Below are links to several of her poems which reflect her bold and independent spirit.
“On Being Charged with Writing Incorrectly”
A Letter to My Love—All Alone, Past 12, in the Dumps
“Not Originally Intended for the Press”: Martha Fowke Sansom’s Poems in the Barbados Gazette
