George Herbert and the Seventeenth-Century Religious Poets [Norton Critical Edition]

George Herbert, remembered as one of the greatest of the Metaphysical poets, was born on April 3, 1593 in Montgomery, Wales. He attended Trinity College, Cambridge. Herbert was a Fellow of Trinity, a public orator, the canon of Lincoln Cathedral and a rector in Bemerton. Herbert died on March 1, 1633. On his deathbed, he gave a manuscript of show more verses called The Temple to his friend, Nicolas Ferrar. Although Herbert wanted the manuscript burned, Ferrar had it published. The poems contained in the manuscript exalt God, but Herbert believed he was committing a sin of pride by creating an artistic work. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Richard Crashaw was an English poet born in London in 1612. Crashaw was educated at Charterhouse in London and at Pembroke College, Cambridge, but his religious views ended his academic career. He went into exile in Holland and Paris. After converting to Roman Catholicism in 1646, he was introduced to the Pope who granted him an ecclesiastical show more post at the shrine of Loreto. Crashaw died there August 21, 1649. In 1634 his Latin epigrams, Epigramatum Sacorum, were published. His first English work was Steps to the Temple With Other Delights of the Moon, published in 1646 and expanded in 1648. The title was a tribute to George Herbert whose sacred verse, The Temple, was written in 1633. Herbert's puritan style was very different from that of Crashaw's sensuous imagery, exclamations, and loose structure. A revision of earlier religious poems, Carmen Deo Nostro was published after Crashaw's death. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Andrew Marvell was born on March 31, 1621 at Winestead-in-Holderness, Yorkshire. He graduated from Cambridge University in 1638. He acted as the tutor of the daughter of the Lord General of parliamentary forces and of Oliver Cromwell's ward. Marvell was also John Milton's assistant. Marvell's best known poem is "To His Coy Mistress." Under false show more names, he wrote numerous political and religious satires. Andrew Marvell died on August 16, 1678, the circumstances of his death questionable. Some claim that he died of an accidental medical overdose while others feel that he was poisoned by his enemies. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Thomas Traherne was born in Hereford, England in 1637. He was educated at the University of Oxford and was ordained as an Anglican clergyman in 1660. Only one work, Roman Forgeries, was published before his death on September 27, 1674. The majority of his works including Christian Ethicks, Poetical Works, Centuries of Mediations, and Traherne's show more Poems of Felicity were published posthumously, as late as 1910. (Bowker Author Biography) show less