the ▁' sum mon ▁bon um ' ▁of ▁existence , ▁without ▁whom ▁this ▁earth ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁desert ▁and ▁life ▁blank . ▁Women ▁have ▁human ising ▁and ▁ref ining ▁influence ▁upon ▁society , ▁an ▁influence ▁stronger ▁than ▁physical ▁force , ▁more ▁pot ent ▁than ▁law . ▁Women ▁ought ▁to ▁be ▁first , ▁not ▁merely ▁as ▁a ▁cour tes y , ▁but ▁because ▁women ▁are ▁the ▁moth ers ▁of ▁us ▁all ". ▁▁ ▁L ett ▁was ▁char itable ▁towards ▁those ▁who ▁he ▁felt ▁deser ving . ▁In ▁his ▁ 1 8 4 7 ▁poem , ▁The ▁Fam ine , ▁he ▁called ▁for ▁international ▁aid ▁to ▁the ▁star ving ▁of ▁the ▁Irish ▁pot ato ▁fam ine ▁( 1 8 4 5 – 1 8 5 2 ). ▁In ▁his ▁poetry ▁he ▁had ▁little ▁pity ▁for ▁The ▁Des er ter ▁but , ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 0 , ▁ur ged ▁forg iveness ▁for ▁a ▁nin ety - five - year ▁Old ▁Sold ier ▁of ▁the ▁Napole onic ▁wars ▁who ▁was ▁being ▁pun ished ▁for ▁v ag ran cy . ▁ ▁Patri ot ▁L ett ▁was ▁an ▁av owed ▁patri ot ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁mother ▁countries ▁of ▁England , ▁Ireland ▁and ▁Scotland . ▁His ▁poetry ▁is ▁filled ▁with ▁accounts ▁of ▁British ▁hero ism , ▁the ▁gl ories ▁and ▁defence ▁of ▁the ▁Empire ▁and ▁British ▁cultural ▁and ▁engineering ▁supre m acy . ▁ ▁Queen ▁Victoria , ▁her ▁cons ort , ▁her ▁children ▁and ▁her ▁vice - reg al ▁Canadian ▁Govern ors ' ▁General ▁are ▁pra ised .