The textual terrain: developments and directions in women's writing, 1500–1700

Abstract This article assesses our much-expanded view of the texts produced by early modern women in Ireland, surveying what is available to present-day researchers and considering emerging methodologies for analysis female voices. The range genres with which we now know engaged owes much feminist literary historians’ capacious approach defining literature, expanding beyond traditionally elite (drama, poetry, fiction) encompass writing all its forms. Thus, present corpus includes letters petitions, life writing, devotional prose, legal depositions, as well kinds verse song, multiple languages. Moreover, where primary evidence Ireland sometimes seems sparse, international perspectives have illuminated currents women's writing. Interpretative paradigms from other fields — book history reading, culinary medical history, network are being applied yield fresh insights about this material. question how was experienced has been explored studies that address such articulations subjectivity, light emotions. wide situations firmly evident, inspiring a host new approaches.