The Cavalier Poets include: Thomas Carew, Sir John Suckling, Richard Lovelace, Lord Herbert, Aurelian Townshend, William Cartwrights, Thomas Randolph, William Habington, Sir Richard Fanshawe, Edmund Waller, and the Marquis of Montrose. The poets were characterized by direct language. Read more about the Cavalier poets, and read some of the works of the group.
1. Poetry and Revolution
by David Davidson. Oxford University Press. From the publisher: "A completely new examination of mid-seventeenth-century verse from the British Islands, this work questions and discards the old label 'Cavalier Poetry' and argues for a literary interpretation that demonstrates the verse as a canon rich in tumultuous, pluralistic, and radical writing."
2. Ben Jonson and the Cavalier Poets
by Ben Jonson, and Hugh D. Maclean (Editor). Norton. From the publisher: "This volume offers an abundant and representative selection of the verse of Ben Jonson and the Cavalier poets."3. Cambridge Companion to English Poetry, Donne to Marvell
by Thomas N. Corns (Editor). Cambridge University Press. From the publisher: "Fourteen essays provide individual studies of Donne, Jonson, Herrick, Herbert, Carew, Suckling, Lovelace, Milton, Crashaw, Vaughan and Marvell. They are supplemented by general essays on the political, social and religious context of seventeenth century England."4. English Lyric Poetry: The Early Seventeenth Century
by Jonathan F.S. Post. Taylor & Francis Publication. From the publisher: "Donne, Jonson, the Spenserians, Herbert, Vaughan, Milton, Marvell as well as Cavalier and women poets, all receive sustained, fresh, detailed analysis. In widening the scope of critical commentary, this lively and engaging literary history avoids the limitations of much recent criticism as it explores the imaginative life of the lyric in this era."5. Cavaliers, Clubs, and Literary Culture
by Timothy Raylor. University of Delaware Press. From the publisher: "'Cavaliers, Clubs, and Literary Culture' is centered around the lives and poetry of Sir John Mennes (a naval officer) and his friend James Smith (a debauched cleric) in Stuart and Interregnum England. It explores the largely uncharted territory between the official culture of the court and the often oppositional culture of the city..."6. The Cavalier Spirit
Cyril Hughes Hartmann. Haskell House. This book highlights the life and works of Richard Lovelace, one of the greatest Cavalier poets. This book is also recommended by "Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature."7. The Cavalier Poets
by Thomas Crofts (Editor). Dover. From the publisher: "Rich sampling of more than 120 works-characteristically charming, witty and graceful-by poets associated with the court of Charles I of England: Robert Herrick, Thomas Carew, Sir John Suckling and Richard Lovelace. Includes such gems as Herrick's 'To the Virgins to Make Much of Time,' Suckling's 'Why so pale and wan, fond lover?' and many more."8. The Cavaliers in Exile
by Geoffrey Smith. Palgrave. From the publisher: "The first major study of the Cavaliers in exile to be published, this is a lively and scholarly account of how the Cavaliers coped, or in some cases failed to cope, with the hardships and challenges of life in exile."9. The Modest Ambition of Andrew Marvell
by Patsy Griffin. University of Delaware Press. From the publisher: "Marvell's evolving notion of his own role as poet is exhibited through his 'reformation' of certain images in which an ultimate consistent development emerges... Both his occasional and thematic poetry may be seen for the most part as a response to the regicide, to the Interregnum, and perhaps most important, to his associations with four major figures of the time - Lovelace, Fairfax, Cromwell, and Milton."10. Henry Lawes
by Ian Spink. Oxford University Press. From the publisher: "Although he wrote some church music, Lawes's significance as a composer lies in his settings of many of the choicest lyrics by Cavalier poets such as Carew, Herrick, Suckling, and Waller--who, like Lawes himself, belonged to the brilliant court of Charles I. This book combines an account of his life with a study of his development as a songwriter during this period."