Robert Herrick

1
Robert Herrick

• 1591 - 1674

2
Life

• Apprentice to his uncle
• Goldsmith and jeweler
• Member of Ben Jonsons Circle of Young Friends
• Include Shakespeare, Donne
• Studied poetry art of writing
• Ordained a priest

3
School

• Did not begin until 22
• Graduated at 29

4
Work

• Priest in Dean Prior, Devonshire
• Age 39 until 1647 when he was removed
• 13 years later the king restored his right and he
  moved back to Dean and lived there until he died
  at age 83.

5
13 years

• He wrote and published 1400 poems
• Hesperides (Works Both Human and Divine)
• Book title means the book is a garden full of
  precious things

6
Carpe Diem

• Seize the day
• Carpo to reap (in line one of To the Virgins,
  to Make Much of Time gather replaces carpo).

7
To The Virgins, To Make Much of Time (movie clip)

• Rhyme scheme
• 1st stanza
• Last stanza -

8
John Donne

• 1572 - 1631

9
Life

• wrote argumentative poetry
• Never wanted to be published instead wanted to
  be part of the queens government
• 1601 Married secretly 17 year old Anne More
  (marriage without consent was a serious crime
  against both church and state)
• eventually arrested and jailed where he wrote
  his shortest poem
• John Donne
• Anne Donne
• Undone
• 12 children 5 died in infancy

10
Education

• Oxford University 11 years old
• Law School late teens
• Clergyman - 1615
• Passionate speaker

11
Metaphysical Conceit

• Are odd and surprising figures of speech
• One thing is compared with another thing that is
  much unlike it.
• Ex
• A lovers tears are newly minted coins.
• the kings court is a bowling alley.
• a man is a world.
• lovers are holy saints.

12
Journal

• If you were leaving for a long time, what would
  you say to someone you love who is left behind?
• If you were the one left, what would you want to
  hear?

13
A Valediction Forbidding Mourning

• Farewell of a husband and wife
• The husband forbids his wife to mourn their
  parting
• He instructs her to behave with dignity
• He says their relationship is such a strong union
  of souls that even distance cannot separate them.