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CANTO From the Latin cantus, “song,” this is a
major division of a lengthy poem. First used by Dante
for his Divine Comedy, it was introduced to English
writing by EDMUND SPENSER in The FAERIE QUEENE.
See also STANZA.
CANZONE Originally an Italian lyric poem con-
sisting of fi ve or six STANZAs and an ENVOI, the canzone
came to include polyphonic songs and lyrics that
derived from this form but resembled MADRIGALs. In
English literature, THOMAS CAMPION was a master of the
canzone.
“CAREFUL COMPLAINT BY THE
UNFORTUNATE AUTHOR, A” ISABELLA
WHITNEY (1573) This poem was published in ISA-
BELLA WHITNEY’s second book of poetry, A Sweet Nose-
gay. It is the fi rst of a set of three poems in which the
poet engages in a literary conversation with “T. B.” who
was probably Whitney’s friend, Thomas Berrie. In this
COMPLAINT, Whitney bemoans her current misfortunes,
which include, among other things, the loss of her
position as a maid, and her lack of money and a job. It
is part of an exchange between Whitney and T. B.
couched as epistolary poems. In this Whitney is fol-
lowing in the tradition of OVID’s Heroides, which also
comprises verse epistles, as well as imitating in print
the upper-class practice of circulating manuscripts of
poems among friends.
In “A Careful Complaint,” Whitney addresses Dido,
the queen of Carthage who was abandoned by her lover,
Aeneas, and who killed herself in despair. Whitney tells
Dido to stop crying and to give up her sorrows, imply-
ing that she, Whitney, has a greater right to complain.
Then she retracts her previous command and tells Dido
instead to continue crying, but to cry for Whitney. She
acknowledges that Aeneas mistreated Dido by abandon-
ing her, but she claims that her own misfortunes are far
greater since FORTUNE has turned against her, has
deprived her of her health, and wants her dead. She tells
Dido that if she (Dido) had not succumbed to the desire
to kill herself, then she might have been happy again.
Dido could have forgotten about Aeneas after he left,
since fi re only burns while it has fuel, and annoying
things cease to be annoying once they are gone. Whit-
ney, on the other hand, cannot escape from her grief
and pain since it will not abandon her.
Whitney concludes the poem by asking death to
come quickly and asking the three Fates to end her life
and her troubles. This last request may be exaggerated.
Modern critics have noted that early modern women
writers often used impending death as an excuse for
publishing their work. Despite the stigma associated
with publication, a woman who thought she was near
death might be forgiven for writing (and publishing)
instructions or ideas that she wanted to survive her.
Thus, Whitney’s use of Dido, who committed suicide,
becomes all the more poignant. Other critics have
addressed the gendered implications of Whitney, com-
paring “Dame Fortune” to Aeneas.
See also “WILL AND TESTAMENT.”
FURTHER READING
Wall, Wendy. “Isabella Whitney and the Female Legacy.”
ELH 58, no. 1 (1991): 35–62.
Donna C. Woodford“CAREFUL COMPLAINT BY THE UNFORTUNATE AUTHOR, A” 103