Victorian Femininity Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat From hence, ye beauties, undeceived, Know, one false step is ne'er retrieved, And be with caution bold. Not all that tempts your wand'ring eyes And heedless hearts, is lawful prize; Nor all, that glisters, gold. (Gray, stanza 7)         Thomas Gray's charming way of assembling words together offers the reader a subtle insight on the woman's role or "place" during the Victorian era. The woman's role consisted …showed first 75 words of 576 total…

…showed last 75 words of 576 total…not necessarily gold within. During this time period, women were restricted to usually their homes. They were allowed very few pleasures in life, including a solitary walk anywhere. Although thought of delicate and fragile, they were required to bear multitudes of children and were limited to their own class system. Gray might not have been directing this towards the female sex, but maybe just merely trying to make the audience aware of sexism in general.