Sir John Suckling (1609—1642)
Richard Lovelace (1618— 1657)

The works of Suckling and Lovelace have been linked together as the prime examples of the country lyrics known as Cavalier poetry. Both poets wrote a light and easy kind of verse associated with the court of Charles I. Both affected a tone of gentlemanly nonchalance in their poems; both were courtiers under Charles.

Suckling came from an extremely wealthy family and used up his inheritance in extravagant living. At one point he hired one hundred fighting men, dressed them up in fancy uniforms, went off to fight for the king in Scotland, and was roundly beaten by the sullen, unfashionably dressed Scots. When he was not engaged in futile fights, he wasted his wealth in gambling. However, he was also a serious patron of many excellent poets, wrote four plays that were spectacularly staged and published at his own exorbitant cost, and composed the delicate lyrics that have gained him fame for over 300 years. As Parliament rebelled against King Charles and gained control of the government, Suckling joined in a conspiracy to free a Royalist leader from the Tower of London. The plot was exposed and Suckling fled to France. There he died impoverished and in despair.

Also from an extremely wealthy family, Lovelace was the pretty boy of Cavalier poetry. He was so handsome that the king and queen ordered that he be granted a master's degree before he completed his studies at Oxford. He was, however, also talented. While at Oxford he wrote a play, painted some fine pictures, and performed credibly on several musical instruments. Perhaps because he was so attractive, Lovelace was chosen by the Royalists to present to Parliament a demand for the restoration of the king's right to absolute authority. Lovelace was immediately arrested. It was while imprisoned that he wrote "To Althea" as a justification for siding with the king even though it meant being confined in jail. After his release from prison, he rejoined Charles's forces in the civil war and spent most of his future to help equip the king's army. Upon Charles's defeat in 1645, Lovelace went to France and fought against Holland. Returning to England some while later, he was once again imprisoned by the Puritans. It was during this second imprisonment that he prepared for publication the volume of poems that included "To Lucasta." Although no one knows for certain, it is believed that he died in poverty.

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