Week 8

Robert Herrick (1591-1674)

• Born in London to a goldsmith.

• Educated at Cambridge, associated with Ben Jonson’s literary circle.

• Ordained as a vicar in 1623, served in Dean Prior, Devonshire.

• Published Hesperides (1648), a collection of approximately 1,400 short poems.

  • Themes: Love, carpe diem, and devotional topics.

• Influences: Ben Jonson and Classical poets.

Cavalier Poets

• Definition: Group of 17th-century English lyric poets.

  • Name origin: Supporters of King Charles during the English Civil War.

• Notable poets: Thomas Carew, Richard Lovelace, Robert Herrick, Sir John Suckling, among others.

• Characteristics:

  • Elegant and witty short lyric poems, often focused on love.

  • Avoided the sonnet format, influenced by Jonson.

Lyric Poetry

• Definition: A short, songlike poem encapsulating the personal mood or feelings of a speaker (could be the poet or a fictional character).

• Historical context: Originated from ancient Greek writing, typically sung with lyre accompaniment.

• Extensive category of verse after narrative and dramatic poetry.

• Common themes: Love or grief.

Types of Lyric Poetry

• Sonnet: 14-line poem in iambic pentameter primarily about love.

• Ode: A formal address to a specific person, entity, or concept.

• Elegy: A poem mournfully lamenting the death of someone.

• Haiku: A brief poetic form capturing a moment or scene, typically in three lines.

• Hymn: A song of praise dedicated to a revered figure or idea.

• Occasional Poem: Written for a specific event or occasion.

Common Metre

• Also known as common measure or hymnal stanza.

• Structure:

  • Quatrain with alternating lines having four stresses and three stresses.

  • Follows regular iambic pattern more than ballad metre.

  • Rhyme scheme typically an abcb or abab.

• Example:

  • "Amazing Grace" (1779) by John Newton.

Themes in Lyric Poetry

Carpe Diem

• Latin phrase meaning "seize the day."

• Motif prevalent in European lyric poetry urging to make the most of present moments.

• Commonly engages hesitant individuals to grasp fleeting pleasures.

• Examples:

  • Herrick’s "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" (1648): Discusses the importance of seizing youth and joy before it fades.

  • Marvell’s "To His Coy Mistress" (1681): Emphasizes enjoying love and life while time allows.

• Notable Latin phrases:

  • Tempus fugit: "Time flies" (Virgil, Georgics).

  • Memento mori: "Remember you must die" (Plato, Phaedo).