Eve's Innocent I Tell You!

Ok, so in my Women in Literature class, we've been reading some pretty interesting stuff. This week in class, we studied a very clever poem arguing that Eve was completely innocent of the fall of mankind. I think this poem is worth quoting, not because I agree with it (in ANY way), but because...well, it's so fascinating! If you take it seriously, you'll be offended; if you read it as a testemant to her brilliance, you'll love it. She twists scripture in an awful (but very clever) way, and I'll warn any guys reading: the way Lanyer removes the fault from the woman is to lay it all on the man :) So without further ado, for your reading enjoyment:

Eve's Apology [i.e. formal argument] in Defense of Women

By Aemilia Lanyer, 1611

"She [Eve], poor soul, by cunning was decieved;

no hurt therein her harmless heart intended...

But surely Adam can not be excused,
Her fault though great, yet he was most to blame;
What Weakness offered, Strength might have refused,
Being Lord of all, the greater was his shame:
Although the Serpent's craft had her abused,
God's holy word ought all his actions frame,
For he was Lord and King of all the earth,
Before poore Eve had either life or breath.

Who being framed by God's eternal hand,
The perfectest man that ever breathed on earth;
And from God's mouth received that straight command,
The breach whereof he knew was present death:
Yea having power to rule both Sea and Land,
Yet with one Apple won to loose that breath
Which God had breathed in his beauteous face,
Bringing us all in danger and disgrace.

And then to lay the fault on Patience' back,
That we (poor women) must endure it all;
We know right well he did discretion lack,
Being not persuaded thereunto at all;
If Eve did err, it was for knowledge' sake,
The fruit being fair persuaded him to fall:
No subtle Serpent's falsehood did betray him,
If he would eat it, who had power to stay him?

Not Eve, whose fault was only too much love,
Which made her give this present to her Dear,
That what she tasted, he likewise might prove,
Whereby his knowledge might become more clear;
He never sought her weakeness to reprove,
With those sharp words, which he of God did hear:
Yet Men will boast of Knowledge, which he took
From Eve's fair hand, as from a learned Book.

If any evil did in her remain,

Being made of him, he was the ground of all...."

Haha, you gotta love it. So pretty much:

Poor, weak Eve was decieved, but Adam should have been strong enough to refuse! After all, he was Lord of the Earth, and had recieved the command not to eat the fruit straight from the mouth of God! Eve's weakness was just that she wanted a good thing--knowledge--and was decieved into taking it. But Adam wasn't decieved, and if he wanted to eat it, no one was strong enough to stop him! Eve, simply because she loved her husband so much, offered to share her newfound wisdom--and now, Man is the one boasting about his knowledge! Not only that: if there was any evil in woman, it must have been the man's fault anyways, because she was made of him!

As I said, I absolutely don't agree with this poem, but you've gotta give Lanyer a hand for how clever she was :)