Robert Herrick

Robert Herrick

English poet
Date of Birth: 24.08.1591
Country: Great Britain

Content:
  1. Robert Herrick: The Master Lyricist
  2. Literary Influences and Career
  3. Military Service and Clerical Appointment
  4. "Hesperides" and "Noble Numbers"
  5. Death and Legacy

Robert Herrick: The Master Lyricist

Early Life and Education

Robert Herrick, born in Cheapside, London, in August 1591, was the son of a prosperous goldsmith. In 1607, he began an unfinished ten-year apprenticeship with his uncle, the king's jeweler. In 1613, he entered St. John's College, Cambridge University, and later Trinity Hall, earning bachelor's (1617) and master's (1620) degrees.

Literary Influences and Career

Influenced by the playwright Ben Jonson, Herrick became a student and admirer of his work. Like his mentor, he sought inspiration from the Latin poets of the Golden Age, such as Catullus, Tibullus, Propertius, Horace, and the Greek lyricist Anacreon. Herrick's literary circles in London included Jonson and other notable writers.

Military Service and Clerical Appointment

In 1627, Herrick served as an army chaplain to the Duke of Buckingham. In 1629, he was appointed rector of Dean Prior in Devonshire. His royalist sympathies led to his expulsion from his parish by the Long Parliament in 1647. He returned to London, where he remained until Charles II reinstated him in 1662.

"Hesperides" and "Noble Numbers"

In 1648, Herrick published his collection of poems titled "Hesperides." It featured both secular poems and religious verses under the title "Noble Numbers." The secular section, "Hesperides," contains 1,130 diverse poems that showcase Herrick's versatility, ranging from incantations to Horatian odes, nature songs to drinking and wedding songs, and elegant lyrics to a fictitious mistress. In addition to lyrics, the collection includes verse tales and epigrams on various subjects.

Death and Legacy

Robert Herrick died in his parish in October 1647. He is widely regarded as one of the finest lyric poets of his era, alongside Thomas Carew, Richard Lovelace, and John Suckling. His work continues to be celebrated for its wit, lyricism, and the poet's keen observation of human nature.

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