Does "No, Thank You, John" follow advice from "To the Ladies"?

Question

"To the Ladies" ends with the couplet, "Value yourselves, and men despise, / You must be proud, if you'll be wise."

Does the speaker of "'No, Thank You, John'" follow this advice?

Why?

please help! thanks!

Answer 1

Yes, Christina Ressetti does follow the advice of her predecessor , Lady Mary Chudleigh , when she says,' No, Thank you, John' . The ladies during those times had choice of their own. In fact there was not much difference between a wife and a servant. the society was completely male dominated, which even now partly is.

yesterday itself SAARC nations have passed a historic resolution to uplift and uphold the right of a woman. Here in these nations, a woman even now is beaten at will, sexually abused, atrocities are committed against, and  untold injustices are ruthlessly committed against her. Actually 1/3 of the world population lives here. Half of these is women. Two of these Islamic nations Bangladesh and pakistan, hold formally that a woman has no soul and the woman is not even allowed by the mullahs in the mosque. Has not  awoman theright even to say , ' No Thank You !'  Enough is enough !!

Lady Mary Chudleigh (1656-1710)

To the Ladies

              1WIFE and servant are the same,

              2But only differ in the name :

              3For when that fatal knot is ty'd,

              4Which nothing, nothing can divide :

              5When she the word obey has said,

              6And man by law supreme has made,

              7Then all that's kind is laid aside,

              8And nothing left but state and pride :

              9Fierce as an eastern prince he grows,

            10And all his innate rigour shows :

            11Then but to look, to laugh, or speak,

            12Will the nuptial contract break.

            13Like mutes, she signs alone must make,

            14And never any freedom take :

            15But still be govern'd by a nod,

            16And fear her husband as a God :

            17Him still must serve, him still obey,

            18And nothing act, and nothing say,

            19But what her haughty lord thinks fit,

            20Who with the power, has all the wit.

            21Then shun, oh ! shun that wretched state,

            22And all the fawning flatt'rers hate :

            23Value yourselves, and men despise :

            24You must be proud, if you'll be wise.

"No, Thank You, John."

Christina Rossetti

I never said I loved you, John:

Why will you tease me day by day,

And wax a weariness to think upon

With always "do" and "pray"?

You know I never loved you, John;

No fault of mine made me your toast:

Why will you haunt me with a face as wan

As shows an hour-old ghost?

I dare say Meg or Moll would take

Pity upon you, if you'd ask:

And pray don't remain single for my sake

Who can't perform that task.

I have no heart? - Perhaps I have not;

But then you're mad to take offence

That I don't give you what I have not got:

Use your own common sense.

Let bygones be bygones:

Don't call me false, who owed not to be true:

I'd rather answer "No" to fifty Johns

Than answer "Yes" to you.

Let's mar our pleasant days no more,

Song-birds of passage, days of youth:

Catch at today, forget the days before:

I'll wink at your untruth.

Let us strike hands as hearty friends;

No more, no less; and friendship's good:

Only don't keep in view ulterior ends,

And points not understood

In open treaty. Rise above

Quibbles and shuffling off and on:

Here's friendship for you if you like; but love,

No, thank you, John.