Anna Wickham’s speaker refuses the old promise that what earth could not accomplish would be made right in the afterlife. Instead, she declares that she will build her own heaven here and now—one more vivid to mortal eyes than a distant, passive ideal of the Good. Her central demand is freedom, and in return she offers a perfected love that costs nothing material: no shelter, no food, no financial support. She will be paid for the work of her head and hands, but she will not be paid for marrying or for staying unmarried. The mood is bold, proud, and resolute. She is not asking for permission; she is laying out the terms of a life lived on her own authority. This is not a rejection of love, but a rejection of its old price.
The Free Woman — Summary
What was not done on earth by incapacity Of old, was promised for the life to be. But I will build a heaven which shall prove A lovelier paradise To your brave mortal eyes Than the eternal tranquil promise of the Good. For freedom I will give perfected love, For which you shall not pay in shelter or in food. For the work of my head and hands I will be paid, But I take no fee to be wedded, or to remain a maid.