An Elizabethan Dramatist and One of the Cavaliers of
Charles I Gave to Our Language Two of
Its Most Charming Lyrics.
The English language is particularly rich in poetical expressions of the
tender passion, but among these two have long been regarded as preeminent.
One, "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love," was written by Christopher
Marlowe (1564-1593), the only great predecessor of Shakespeare in the
British drama. This lyric, which is described by old Izaak Walton as "that
smooth song which was made by Kit Marlowe," is one of the most beautiful
of its kind that has come down to us from the Elizabethan period. It has
frequently been imitated by minor poets, and a delightful reply to it was
made by Sir Walter Raleigh.
The second famous love poem published herewith was from the pen of the
gay, loyal, brave, but unfortunate Cavalier, Sir Richard Lovelace
(1618-1658). The exquisite verses constituting his address "To Althea from
Prison" were written while the young poet was confined as a prisoner, by
order of the Puritan Parliament, in the Gatehouse of Westminster, for
presenting to the Commons a petition from Kentish royalists in the king's
favor. He was released on bail which amounted to two hundred thousand
dollars. The young woman to whom the lines "To Althea" were written
subsequently became the wife of another. Lovelace died in the most abject
poverty.
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