“I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman”
— Virginia Woolf
Simplified Meaning:
In the past, many talented women wrote poems and other works without putting their names on them. They did this because, back then, it wasn't common or accepted for women to be writers. When you see poems signed with "Anon," which stands for "Anonymous," there's a good chance they were written by women who couldn't or didn't feel safe sharing their identity. Think about how in history, women often had to disguise their identities to be heard or respected. For example, the famous book "Frankenstein" was initially published without Mary Shelley's name because people wouldn't take her seriously as a female author. In this same way, many women may have written beautiful poems and signed them as "Anon" to share their work with the world without facing criticism or prejudice. If you're writing or creating something today, remember that you don't need to hide your identity. The world has changed, and now people are much more accepting of everyone's contributions, no matter who they are. Celebrate your work and be proud to put your name on it. This way, future generations will know who to thank for your creativity and contributions.