Explore the poem

Katherine Philips’ ‘Epitaph’ marks the tragic loss of her son, Hector, who died forty days after his birth. The poem begins conventionally contemplating the transience of youth and beauty, before seemingly moving towards the celebration of birth and the arrival of a son. Note the use of repetition in line 6, and the way the infant is described.

How does Katherine Philips use language in line 10, when we learn of the death of her son? What is the impact of this line? The poet speculates as to why her son may have left this earth so soon. How does she explain in a literary manner why her son broke ‘the prison shell’?

The idea of breaking free is reinforced by the reference to ‘Hermes Seal’. In Greek myth, the god Hermes was said to have invented a magic seal that would keep vessels airtight. Not even this can restrain the spirit of her son in its journey to Heaven.

The poem ends with a comparison between the glorious sun obscured by a cloud and the infant wrapped in his burial sheet.

About Katherine Philips

Katherine Philips started writing soon after her marriage in 1648, aged sixteen, to James Philips. He was a prominent supporter of the Parliamentary cause, whereas Katherine enthusiastically welcomed the Restoration of the English monarchy in 1660.

Katherine Philips formed a literary circle of friends known as ‘The Society of Friendship’, whose members adopted classical pen names when they wrote poetry. She wrote as ‘Orinda’, and many of her poems were addressed to other women, known, for example, as ‘Rosania’ and ‘Lucasia’. Critics have been intrigued by the nature of the relationships developed by these women, whose feelings are expressed with some intensity, especially in Katherine Philips’ poetry.

In addition to writing poetry that was elegant and polished, if somewhat conventional, Katherine Philips was an outstanding linguist and completed many translations of verse and drama from the French. Her talent was widely celebrated by other prominent writers of the period. She died in 1664 of smallpox.