Seventeenth-Century Poetry

Seventeenth-Century Poetry is a compact anthology edited by Paul Driver, published in 1996 as part of Penguin’s affordable Popular Classics series, featuring a curated selection of verse from England’s rich 17th-century poetic tradition. This 112-page paperback captures the era’s stylistic diversity, including metaphysical conceits from poets like John Donne and Andrew Marvell, Cavalier lyrics by Robert Herrick and Richard Lovelace, and contemplative works by John Milton, alongside pieces reflecting Renaissance influences, Baroque ornamentation, and themes of love, mortality, spirituality, and carpe diem. Ideal for general readers and students, it offers accessible entry into the period’s evolution from intricate, intellectual poetry to more graceful, Horatian-inspired forms, emphasizing precision, euphony, and emotional depth without extensive annotations.