A Sampler of 17th Century British Poets

Beginning July 7, as agreed, we'll be reading a few 17th Century British poets. Mussy has been looking at online resources and sent some links that will give us a head start. If you feel strongly about a poet or a poem, do share. Of course these are not exhaustive:

John Donne also here

Richard Lovelace

Sir John Suckling

Thomas Carew

George Herbert

Robert Herrick

Edmund Waller

Andrew Marvell

John Dryden: here  and Mac Flecknoe

John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester (Caveat lector: naughty words)

Any others? Here's one from Donne to set us in motion:

THE FLEA.

by John Donne

MARK but this flea, and mark in this,

How little that which thou deniest me is ;

It suck'd me first, and now sucks thee, 

And in this flea our two bloods mingled be.

Thou know'st that this cannot be said

A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead ;

    Yet this enjoys before it woo,

    And pamper'd swells with one blood made of two ;

    And this, alas! is more than we would do.

O stay, three lives in one flea spare,

Where we almost, yea, more than married are.

This flea is you and I, and this

Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is.

Though parents grudge, and you, we're met,

And cloister'd in these living walls of jet.

    Though use make you apt to kill me,

    Let not to that self-murder added be,

    And sacrilege, three sins in killing three.

Cruel and sudden, hast thou since

Purpled thy nail in blood of innocence?

Wherein could this flea guilty be,

Except in that drop which it suck'd from thee?

Yet thou triumph'st, and say'st that thou

Find'st not thyself nor me the weaker now.

'Tis true ; then learn how false fears be ;

Just so much honour, when thou yield'st to me,

Will waste, as this flea's death took life from thee.