Robert Herrick
(1591–1674)

Called the greatest songwriter of the English language, Herrick's verses please the ear more than the mind. Although he lived through one of the most controversial periods of English history, little of this is reflected in his poetry. His poems are light, whimsical, highly polished, and extremely artificial. They are also a joy to read and hear.

Born to a wealthy goldsmith in London who died when Herrick was young, he apprenticed to his even wealthier uncle, who was also a goldsmith. Although there are no records of his early education, Herrick went up to Cambridge when he was 22 and graduated when he was 29 with a master's degree. Shortly afterward he was ordained a minister and served as a chaplain with English troops fighting in France. Upon his return from France he was assigned a rural parish in southwestern England. At first unhappy at his "internal exile," Herrick soon adjusted to the lovely countryside and easy life of a country parson. There he wrote his charming verse that celebrated equally the passage of time, the beauty of nature, the joy of love, the pleasure of paganism, and the modesty of Christian devotion.

Although not politically active, Herrick was evicted from his parish by triumphant Puritans after the final defeat of Charles I. Returning to his native and much-loved London, Herrick published his poems in a single volume with two titles: Hesperides and Nobel Numbers. Hesperides, which is the classical Greek name for a mythological garden at the western edge of the world, contained Herrick's secular poems, for which he is best known today. Nobel Numbers contained his religious verse. Published at a politically turbulent time in London, Herrick's light and graceful poems were ignored by his contemporaries. Interest in them was revived in the nineteenth century, and they are highly regarded today.

With the Restoration in 1660, Herrick went back to his parish in the west country and remained there until his death. When he was young, he had been one of the most ardent disciples of Ben Jonson. From the older poet, Herrick had learned the virtues of a light touch, of a polished surface, and of a restrained manner. He carried his lessons well into his exile, where he sang "of brooks, of blossoms, birds, and bowers: / Of April, May, of June, and July flowers."

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