User:Porshezzy/sandbox

Chudleigh is described as an early feminist. She was influenced by Mary Astell who wrote about the importance of women's' education. Critics say a majority of her writing reflect her intellectual range and deep understanding of classical philosophy. Her poems explore the idea of women being able to enjoy all the pleasures that men do and argues against the idea of marriage for women in the poems like "To the Ladies". Marilyn Williamson described Chudleigh as being distinctive from her intellectual group in “her intellectual scope, her anger, and her desire to reform marriage.”

She can be seen expressing her views about feminism in her poem The Ladies Defense. Critics say that it is a reply to John Sprint's sermon The Bride-Woman's Counsellor. In this she is seen as criticizing the extremities in which women are supposed to obey their husbands. Her argument of having marriage reforms and a change in education for women is expressed. People first viewed this poem as being a reflection of her personal marriage but it was later seen as a way to voice her ideas about marriage. She refuses the idea of male superiority and creates a level ground where women are seen as equals.

Her theme of amity between women has been analyzed recently. Critics have read her poems such as Friendship and Whose Hearts are one, whose Souls combine to say he views friendship as a platonic mingling of souls. She describes friendship in a way to symbol power. Critics say that friendship was important to express in her writing because of the intellectual women's group she was apart of.

Her writings show an open mind to different practices of religion. Her poem, The Song of the Three Children express religious ideas that were controversial at the time. This poem is described as having elevated piety and an elegance of style. In this poem she focuses on the relationship between humans and a higher being. By doing this, she includes different religions that are based on the same fundamental beliefs. She eliminate the belief of one religion being correct.