Life as a single woman
In her poems, Whitney often discloses some personal details about her own life, such as the fact she didn't have a husband. Reading her poetry, we can see her develop from a heartbroken woman into an independent female writer, who accepts the path she has chosen. This theme is illuminated in Whitney's poem To her Sister Mistress A.B, where she compares herself to her sister: "I know you huswifery intend, though I to writing fall." In this poem, Whitney praises her sister's choice to choose the life she has with her "husband and [her] pretty boys," whilst accepting that she has chosen the life of a writer. Whitney credits the lack of a husband and household as the reason she can focus more on her writing: "Had I a husband, or a house... my self could frame about to rouse as other women do. But till some household cares me tie, my books and pen I will apply."
Sisterly love
Throughout Whitney's poetry, we can see her love and fondness towards her sisters. She assumes the role of the older sister, advising her sisters and offering them comfort. One example is the poem An Ode Prescribed, to two of her Younger Sisters Serving in London, where she writes to her younger sisters. In this poem she shows her caring and nurturing side, saying how much she will miss her sisters and how she wishes the best for them. Although her poetry often has a humorous or witty tone, the poems about her sisters are emotional and heartfelt, making them some of the most interesting to read.
Wealth
Isabella Whitney is widely believed to have belonged to a family of the minor gentry, meaning they didn't have a great deal of money. Women at this time didn't have many options other than marriage to secure themselves economic security. Whitney herself often writes about being single, and how she has instead chosen a life of writing. The trade-off for this appears to be that the struggles financially, in one poem writing that she is "very weake in Purse." In other poems, she discloses that her younger sisters worked in service, meaning they were essentially servants. She tells her sisters to act mild and gentle, almost with an awareness of their place in society.
