Before knowing the Cavalier poets, we need to know about the context which is basically the era to which they belonged. So, let’s know a bit about Caroline Age first. The term Caroline is derived from the Latin word ‘Carolus’ which means Charles. It is basically the time when Charles first reigned in England (1625-1649). Now, the term Cavalier suggests the chivalry of the knights. But, they are the poets, not knights, so why are they called so? Because they were so close to the king Charles the first that they were given this name by the king. They were basically a group of monarchists who supported Charles the first during the civil war. They used to create the type of art that the king craved for. This group includes Carew, Herrick, Lovelace, Suckling and many more who were also called the 'son of Ben Jonson'. In this article, we are going to discuss them in detail. So, let’s look into them –
Robert Herrick
He was one of the most important ones among them and he is well recognized for his greatest work Hesperides. It is a collection of poetry that contains 1200 lyrical poems about the philosophy of ‘Carpe Diem’(the term, first used by Horace to explain the idea that one should enjoy life whenever it’s possible). His other works include To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time (published in the collection of Hesperides), To Daffodils: Fair Daffodils We Weep to See and Corinna’s Going a-Maying.
Richard Lovelace
He was the next important name who even fought in the civil war in favor of the king. His most important poems are To Lucasta, Going to War and To Althea, from Prison. In the former poem he tries to defend his decision of going to the war and argues with his beloved regarding that matter. In the latter, he explored liberty and confinement in a different way because he was imprisoned when he wrote this poem.
John Suckling
Suckling was also an important Cavalier poet because of his master piece called A Ballad Upon a Wedding. This is basically a mock epithalamion which celebrates the wedlock of his friend John Lord Lovelace. The narrator of this poem is a farmer of London who is witnessing this grand aristocratic marriage.
Lastly, we want to end the discussion with few words of him –
‘I dare be bold thus much to say,
If that my bullets do but play,
You would be hurt so night and day, Yet love me.’
