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.

Read these lines from the poem.

Alone the glory and the spoil
I always laughing bore away;

How do these lines reflect the central idea that the author uses people she is romantically involved with?


They highlight the speaker's generous nature.


They show that the speaker takes her relationships seriously.


They reinforce that the speaker believes winning is most important.

They reveal that the speaker enters relationships for her own amusement.