Emilia Lanier

Emilia Lanier

Emilia Lanier (1569-1645) was an English poet, the author of only one book of poems named (in Latin) Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum.

Biography

Emilia Lanier was the first woman in England who published a sepatate book of poems. Her name and surname were written in many ways, Emilia, Aemilia, Amelia, Lanier or Lanyer. She was born in the beginning of 1569. She was baptised on 27 January 1569. She was partly of Italian origin. Her father was Baptist Bassano. He was a musician. He came from Venice. Her mother was Margaret Johnson. For some years she was in informal relation with Henry Carey. He was a cousin and chamberlain of the queen Elizabeth the Great. She got pregnant. She married her cousin Alphonso Lanyer, who was a musician like her father. In 1593 she gave birth to her son Henry who was named after his father, Henry Carey. In 1598 she gave birth to a daughter, Odillya, who lived for only ten months. The poet lived with her son's family. In 1623 he married Joyce Mansfield. Emilia Lanier had two grandchildren, Mary (born 1627) and Henry (born 1630).

Works

Emilia Lanier published her collection of poems in 1611. It contains pieces of religious poetry. They differ from each other in the field of poetic form. Emilia Lanier used many stanzas, build of six lines (rhymed ababcc), seven lines (ababacc or ababbcc that is rhyme royal) or eight lines (abababcc that is ottava rima).

Emilia Lanier or Dark Lady

Emilia Lanier is considered to be the Dark Lady of William Shakespeare's sonnets. John Hudson suggests that she was the real author of some Shakespeares plays.

Other websites

• Æmilia Lanyer, Salve Deus Rex Iudæorum at luminarium.org