Richard Lovelace (1617-1657), who was born on December 9, was an English poet and one of the most prominent of the 17th century “Cavalier Poets,” so named for taking up arms on behalf of King Charles during the English Civil War (1642-1651) — although their lively and romantic style has given a secondary sense to “cavalier,” which originally denoted a mounted soldier. “To Lucasta” and “To Althea” are exemplary poems of this style, not only for Lovelace but for the entire body of Cavalier poetry. Like the other Cavalier Poets, Lovelace (pronounced “loveless”) relied on his knowledge of the ancient Roman poets, especially the lyric poets Catullus (84-54 BC) and Horace (65-27 BC), to produce songs in praise of love and lyrics that esteemed the harmony of indulging in worldly pleasures while also pursuing the timeless virtues of courage, honor, and loyalty to a cause.
Richard Lovelace (1617-1657), who was born on December 9, was an English poet and one of the most prominent of the 17th century “Cavalier Poets,” so named for taking up arms on behalf of King Charles during the English Civil War (1642-1651) — although their lively and romantic style has given a secondary sense to “cavalier,” which originally denoted a mounted soldier. “To Lucasta” and “To Althea” are exemplary poems of this style, not only for Lovelace but for the entire body of Cavalier poetry. Like the other Cavalier Poets, Lovelace (pronounced “loveless”) relied on his knowledge of the ancient Roman poets, especially the lyric poets Catullus (84-54 BC) and Horace (65-27 BC), to produce songs in praise of love and lyrics that esteemed the harmony of indulging in worldly pleasures while also pursuing the timeless virtues of courage, honor, and loyalty to a cause.
Comments