What Role Did Women Play In Church Poetry

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One studies poetry and music to get a well-rounded view of culture: Lord Alfred Tennyson, George Gordon Byron, William Wordsworth, and William Shakespeare are often favorited subjects for analysis. Unfortunately, the poetry heard on Sunday mornings, hymns in particular, do not make that list. Just as Austen and the Bronte sisters had roles as authors in the 19th century, women such as Cecil Frances Alexander and Frances Ridley Havergal emerged as poets by writing hymns that are still sung within churches today. It is important to have a good understanding of “church poetry” to completely understand the English Church (and all its denominations) and thereby have a better knowledge base of nineteenth century Britain overall.
To further this investigation of hymns and their authors, I would like to provide context for my research by answering questions such as: what role did women play in the creation of church music? Was it considered acceptable for women to write hymns? Did gender ideals change by denominations, or were they the same across the board? What kind of women were writing hymns, was it only upper and middle class women? After answering these questions I will be set up to answer the main
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The Victorian Britain was full of women who desired a strong relationship with God and with the church, writing hymns was way women could be more involved in a male dominated church, while writing was considered a male profession, women worked their way around what was considered socially unacceptable by writing hymns for the education and edification of children. Women also used hymns as a means to an end by using hymns to bring about social reform. Women’s success varied by denomination which played an important role in the reception of women taking on what was thought of as masculine