The Poor Singing Dame By Mary Robinson

“The Poor Singing Dame” was written by Mary Robinson during the Romantic Era. In Robinson’s poem, the woman’s role was definitely defined by what a man wanted. The man decided her fate and she was not able to have a say in it. The man in the poem is a Lord, and “For he hated that poverty should be so cheerful…”(Robinson, 82). Since he did not agree with her being so joyful, he had her sent to prison. The Lord did not attempt to understand the woman’s perspective on life and abided to his beliefs instead. The poor dame would end up dying in the end due to the Lord’s decision. This shows how the man’s wants were put above the dame’s life and how she did not have the ability to be above him. He was superior to her so he was able to make choices