Assignment paper 105 Cavalier Poets
Assignment 105 Cavalier Poets
Cavalier Poets
Table of content :
Personal Information
Introduction
Definition
The term " Cavalier "
Cavalier Poets
Examples of Poem by The Cavalier Poets
Characteristic of Cavalier Poetry
Conclusion
Work Cited
Personal Information :
Name: Kusum J. Saravaiya
Batch: M. A. Sem 1 (2023-25)
Enrollment N. : 5108230041
Roll N. : 21
Paper: 105 History of English Literature
Submitted to : smt. S. B. Gardi Department of English, M. K. University Bhavnagar.
Email : kusumsarvaiya2304@gmail.com
Introduction :
The Cavalier poets were a group of 17th-century English writers known for their elegant, witty, and often hedonistic poetry. They celebrated the pleasures of life, love, and beauty, embracing a more carefree and aristocratic lifestyle, in contrast to the seriousness of the Puritan-influenced poetry of the time. Their works typically reflected themes of love, loyalty, honor, and a deep appreciation for nature and the fleeting moments of life. Some notable figures among the Cavalier poets include Robert Herrick, Thomas Carew, and Richard Lovelace.
The Cavalier poets were significant for several reasons. They offered a distinct literary voice in 17th-century England, providing an alternative to the prevailing Puritanical literature. Their poetry emphasized the pleasures of life, love, and beauty, reflecting a more carefree and aristocratic spirit.
Their works also highlighted a shift towards lyrical expression and the celebration of personal experiences, love, and nature, departing from the religious and moralistic tones of their predecessors. The writing of the Cavalier poets stands out in its distinctive style and thematic focus compared to other literary movements of their time. Their emphasis on celebrating the joys of life, love, and beauty, their use of wit and elegant language, and their departure from the seriousness of Puritan-influenced literature set them apart. They offered a more carefree and aristocratic perspective, which was a departure from the moralistic and religious themes prevalent in other contemporary writing.
Definition :
The Cavalier Poets were writers who supported Charles I during the English Civil War and who spoke out against the “roundheads,” or the supporters of the English Parliament. Their writing was quite different from that of previous and later movements. They often spoke about political issues, used classical allusions, and aimed to express feelings of gratification and joy in the simple, celebratory moments of life. Their writing was created with the intention of pleasing Charles I over most everything else. This meant that writers included references and information that interested the monarch.
"The Cavalier Poets were a group of writers from the 17th century in England. They are generally defined by their class, and the fact that they originated from that which supported Charles I during the English Civil War".
When reading cavalier poetry it’s likely one will find poems addressing love, nature, drinking, honor, politics, and beauty. Seizing the day was another important part of their work. They wanted to celebrate the importance of working every day to become the best possible version of themselves.
The term "cavalier ":
Cavalier Poets created the art that King Charles was interested in and often worked in his service.
The term “cavalier” was used to describe this group as an insult, one that portrayed them as boisterous, uneducated, and without manners. The majority of the poets in this group were courtiers or men who attended court and paid homage to the monarch. But, not all the writers could be defined in the same way. Interesting, several of the most important cavalier poets died before the English Civil War even began, or the term “cavalier” was used.
Cavalier Poets:
Robert Herrick: a lyric poet who is best-known for this work Hesperides. It includes some of the best examples of carpe diem, or seize the day, poems. Such as ‘To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time.’ He wrote over 2,500 poems during his lifetime and most of these appear in Hesperides. Often, they reference love, lovemaking, and the female body. As his writing progressed, he moved on to more spiritual themes. Scholars have defined the overall message of his work as one abut the brevity of life and how beautiful and full of wonder the world is.
Richard Lovelace: another important cavalier poet. He fought for Charles I during the English Civil War. His best-known poems are ‘To Althea, from Prison’ and ‘To Lucasta, Going to the Warres.’ When he returned from the war, he served as a gentlemen and justice of the peace. He was imprisoned several times and released in April 1649 after Charles I was executed.
Thomas carew : a notable cavalier poet whose work was not adequately studied and appreciated until the 20th century. His best-known work, ‘A Rapture,’ is a great representative of his broader oeuvre. His poems were generally short and dealt with themes of love, female beauty, and sex.
Sir John Suckling: rose to prominence during the 17th century for his witty poems. He is best known for ‘Ballade upon a Wedding’ and his joyful attitude toward life. His collection, Fragmenta Aurea, first appeared in 1646. He’s also noted for his dramatic works, like “Aglaura.”
Examples of poems by Cavalier Poets:
This well-loved cavalier poem describes a speaker’s beliefs about the impact of time on a woman’s life and the value of beauty. The poem begins with the speaker stating that a woman should do everything she can while she is young to take advantage of the love others want to give her.She will be more appreciated while she is young and beautiful. Therefore, she should “gather [her] rose-buds” or the things in life she needs, before time takes over. Once “Time” has made its mark on her, she will be lost to the happy possibilities of life. Consider these lines, including the famous opening line, from the poem:
"Gather ye rose-buds while ye may,Old Time is still a-flying;And this same flower that smiles today Tomorrow will be dying."
To Althea, from Prison by Richard Lovelace
Famously, Lovelace wrote this piece in 1642 while imprisoned in Gatehouse Prison adjoining Westminster Abbey. He had that year presented a petition to Parliament in protest of the Bishop’s Exclusion Bill. The bill prevented those heavily involved with the Churches of England from enacting any control over matters concerning the church. The poem itself describes the poet’s attempts to maintain his freedom. It’s written in the form of a poem to a woman named, “Althea” whose true identity has never been confirmed. Here are a few lines:
"When Love with unconfinèd wings Hovers within my Gates,And my divine Althea brings To whisper at the Grates; "When I lie tangled in her hair,And fettered to her eye,The Gods that wanton in the Air, Know no such Liberty".
This famed poem describes the emotional situation of a speaker who is unsure if his listener truly loves him. The poem begins with the speaker asking if his listener is willing to love him. He worries over the possibility that she will laugh at him rather than love him back. His “wooing” could go to waste. He continues on to ask that she not condemn him to death but give him a “nobler fate” at her side. Here are a few lines from the poem:
"Now you have freely given me leave to love,What will you do?Shall I your mirth, or passion move,When I begin to woo;Will you torment, or scorn, or love me too?"
Characteristics of Cavalier Poertys:
Cavalier poetry, despite its reputation, can be quite diverse. Poems attributed to Cavalier Poets are often written on themes of love, lovemaking, time, beauty, nature, and politics. It’s the latter for which the group is best-known. Many composed their writing in an attempt to please their monarch, Charles I of England.
Conclusion :
The Cavalier poets made significant contributions to English literature by infusing it with their distinctive style and themes. Their emphasis on elegance, wit, and the celebration of earthly pleasures stood in contrast to the prevailing Puritanical seriousness of their time. Through their poems, they brought a sense of refinement, grace, and a celebration of life's joys, leaving a lasting mark on the lyrical tradition and enriching the diversity of literary expression in the 17th century.
The Cavalier poets often explored themes of carpe diem (seizing the day), love, beauty, honor, and the pleasures of life. They celebrated sensuality, courtly love, and the transient nature of existence while embracing a carefree spirit and a disdain for strict moral or religious conventions. Their works often reflected a joyous embrace of the present moment and an appreciation for the fleeting nature of life's pleasures.
Their elegant and light-hearted verses celebrating love, beauty, and the pleasures of life. Their works reflected a rejection of Puritan seriousness and embraced a more carefree and refined approach to poetry. Their legacy lies in their lyrical style, use of wit, and contribution to the richness of English poetry.
Work Cited:
“Cavalier Poets.” Poem Analysis, 19 Feb. 2023, poemanalysis.com/movement/cavalier-poets/.https://poemanalysis.com/movement/cavalier-poets/ Accessed 25 Nov, 2023.
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