Read complete books and articles on: Robert Herrick (Cavalier Poet)

Herrick, Robert - 1591–1674, English poet, generally considered the greatest of the Cavalier poets. Although he was born in London, he spent most of his childhood in Hampton. In 1607 he became apprenticed to his uncle, jeweler to the king, and remained in London until 1613. He was graduated from Cambridge, and sometime before 1627 he took orders. In 1627 he was chaplain in the duke of Buckingham's disastrous expedition to the Isle of Ré. Two years later Herrick was given the country living of Dean Prior in Devonshire, remaining there until 1647, when he was ejected because of royalist sympathies. He was restored to his living in 1662 and remained there until his death. Herrick never married, and the many women mentioned in his poems are probably imaginary. The bulk of his work is contained in the Hesperides (1648), which when it first appeared included his sacred songs called Noble Numbers. He was a disciple of Ben Jonson and his lyrics show considerable classical influence, but his greatness rests on his simplicity, his sensuousness, his care for design and detail, and his management of words and rhythms. Among the best known of his lyrics are "The Night Piece, to Julia"; the song commencing "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may"; "Corinna's Going a-Maying"; "To Anthea"; "Cherry-ripe"; and "Upon Julia's Clothes." Among his sacred poems is the fine piece "His Litany to the Holy Spirit." Herrick also excelled in the writing of epigrams and epitaphs. His reputation declined after his death, but in the 19th cent. he was recognized as a great lyricist.

See edition of his poetical works by L. C. Martin (new ed. 1965); his memoirs, ed. by D. Aaron (1963); biography by G. W. Scott (1974); studies by F. Moorman (1910, repr. 1962), and R. B. Rollin (1966).

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15 of the Best Books and Articles on: Robert Herrick (Cavalier Poet)

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1.

Some Poems of Robert Herrick » Read Now
by Robert Herrick. 32 pgs.

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2.

Chrysomela: A Selection from the Lyrical Poems of Robert Herrick » Read Now
by Francis Palgrave Turner. 199 pgs.

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3.

Poetical Works » Read Now
by Robert Herrick, L. C. Martin. 632 pgs.

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4.

A Treasury of Great Poems: English and American ("Robert Herrick (1591-1674)" begins on p. 389) » Read Now
by Louis Untermeyer. 1288 pgs.

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5.

The Influence of the Latin Elegists on English Lyric Poetry, 1600-1650: With Particular Reference to the Works of Robert Herrick » Read Now
by Pauline Aiken. 115 pgs.

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6.

Two Gentle Men: The Lives of George Herbert and Robert Herrick » Read Now
by Marchette Gaylord Chute. 319 pgs.

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7.

Melody and the Lyric from Chaucer to the Cavaliers ("Robert Herrick" begins on p. 165) » Read Now
by John Murray Gibbon. 206 pgs.

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8.

Poetry and the Fountain of Light: Observations on the Conflict between Christian and Classical Traditions in Seventeenth-Century Poetry (Chap. II "Herrick and the Ceremony of Mirth") » Read Now
by H. R. Swardson. 167 pgs.

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9.

English Lyric Poetry: The Early Seventeenth Century ("Robert Herrick (1591-1674)" begins on p. 111) » Read Now
by Jonathan F. S. Post. 324 pgs.

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English Lyric Poetry is a comprehensive reassessment of lyric poetry of the early seventeenth century. The study is directed at both beginning and more advanced students of literature, and responds to more specialised scholarly inquiries pursued of late in relation to specific poets. This...
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English Lyric Poetry is a comprehensive reassessment of lyric poetry of the early seventeenth century. The study is directed at both beginning and more advanced students of literature, and responds to more specialised scholarly inquiries pursued of late in relation to specific poets. This extremely lucid and elegantly written book avoids the limitations of much recent criticism. Donne, Jonson, the Spenserians, Herbert, Milton, Marvell, Vaughan, as well as many non-canonical and women poets, all receive sustained, fresh, and detailed analysis. Jonathan Post seeks to assimilate many of the post-New Critical theoretical concerns with readings of the major and minor, male and female, authors of the period.
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10.

John Donne and the Seventeenth-Century Metaphysical Poets ("Herrick and the Fruits of the Garden" begins on p. 69) » Read Now
by Harold Bloom. 267 pgs.

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-- Brings together the best criticism on the most widely read poets, novelists, and playwrights
-- Presents complex critical portraits of the most influential writers in the English-speaking world -- from the English medievalists to contemporary writers
11.

The Age of Milton: An Encyclopedia of Major 17th-Century British and American Authors ("Robert Herrick (1591-1674)" begins on p. 167) » Read Now
by Alan Hager. 392 pgs.

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The 17th century was a time of significant cultural and political change. The era saw the rise of exploration and travel, the growth of the scientific method, and the spread of challenges to conventional religion. Many of these developments occurred in England and North America, and literature of...
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The 17th century was a time of significant cultural and political change. The era saw the rise of exploration and travel, the growth of the scientific method, and the spread of challenges to conventional religion. Many of these developments occurred in England and North America, and literature of the period reflects the intellectual and emotional fervor of the age. This reference chronicles the lives and works of more than 75 British and American writers of the 17th century.
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12.

Robert Herrick and the Makings of 'Hesperides,' in Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 » Read Now
by Randall Ingram. 21 pgs.

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13.

Robert Herrick, the Human Figure and the English Mannerist Aesthetic, in Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 » Read Now
by L. E. Semler. 17 pgs.

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14.

Robert Herrick's Fathers, in Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 » Read Now
by Roger B. Rollin. 20 pgs.

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15.

A History of Elizabethan Literature (Discussion of Robert Herrick begins on p. 354) » Read Now
by George Saintsbury. 471 pgs.

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