Hester Pulter’s “Indivisibles” and the Challenges of Annotating Early Modern Women’s Poetry

Abstract

Several recent commentators have called for complete rejection of editorial annotation. Using Hester Pulter’s atomic poetry as a case study, this article argues instead for its importance and highlights the need for a transparent methodology sensitive to broader developments in literary research. This means taking into account factors including conceptions of the author and the generic and formal characteristics of the text in question. This approach is facilitated by recent developments in digital technology, which expanded the range of material we are able to bring to bear on the work being annotated.