Narrative poetry

Paracelsian Medicine and Female Creativity: Aemilia Lanyer's <i>Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum</i>

“…(ll. [76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84] In "The Description of Cooke-ham, " Margaret is presented as deeply respectful of the natural order, possessing the heightened powers of vision associated with the gifted Hermetic philosopher, which enable her to "plaine descrie" signatures of the divine in nature. Furthermore, in the central poem describing Christ's Passion, "Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum, " she is eulogized for her "workes of mercy" cherishing the "poore, " "sicke and wounded" in Christ's name: Sometimes imprison' d, naked, poore and bare, Full of diseases, impotent, and lame, Blind, deafe, and dumbe, he comes unto his faire, To see if she yet will remaine the same; Nay sicke and wounded, now thou do'st prepare To cherish him in thy dear Lovers name: Yea thou bestow'st all paines, all cost, all care, That may relieve him, and his health repaire.…”

“…83 Interestingly, Susanne Woods remarks that Lanyer's language "occasionally seems to echo" and has "verbal and thematic parallels" with Spenser's Foure Hymnes. 84 The true transforming work of the spiritual alchemist was to reproduce God's macrocosmic creation in the microcosm of man, extracting the quintessence out of the black metal of the soul, uniting contrary elements and lightening darkness. In this manner the soul could be regenerated, repairing the ravages of man's fallen condition and enabling enhanced spiritual vision and the writing of inspired poetry.…”