Read the poem.

Aphra Behn lived and wrote in the 1600s and was the first woman in England to make a living as a professional writer. A political spy, playwright, novelist, and poet, Aphra broke social barriers while her literary works tackled controversial topics, including slavery, racism, desire, and gender. Her writings were considered scandalous for the time.

A Thousand Martyrs
by Aphra Behn

A thousand martyrs I have made,

All sacrificed to my desire;

A thousand beauties have betrayed,

That languish in resistless fire.

The untamed heart to hand I brought,

And fixed the wild and wandering thought.



I never vowed nor sighed in vain

But both, though false, were well received.

The fair are pleased to give us pain,

And what they wish is soon believed.

And though I talked of wounds and smart,

Love’s pleasures only touched my heart.



Alone the glory and the spoil

I always laughing bore away;

The triumphs, without pain or toil,

Without the hell, the heav’n of joy.

And while I thus at random rove

Despise the fools that whine for love.

Question
Read these lines from the poem.

A thousand martyrs I have made,
All sacrificed to my desire;
How do the lines reflect the central idea that the speaker is concerned only with her own pleasure?
Responses

They proclaim that the speaker has callously used people for her own benefit.

They proclaim that the speaker has callously used people for her own benefit.

They imply that the speaker is a romantic person who has had many relationships.
They imply that the speaker is a romantic person who has had many relationships.

They are meant to be ironic because the speaker is a martyr as well.

They are meant to be ironic because the speaker is a martyr as well.

They imply that the speaker is heartbroken over her behavior.

They imply that the speaker is heartbroken over her behavior.
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