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Home  »  The English Poets  »  Vol. I. Early Poetry: Chaucer to Donne

Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.

Vol. I. Early Poetry: Chaucer to Donne

Geoffrey Chaucer. c. 1340–1400. Critical Introduction by Thomas Humphry Ward
Extracts from The Boke of the Duchesse
Extracts from Troylus and Criseyde
Extracts from The Parlement of Foules
Extracts from The Hous of Fame
Extracts from Prologue to the Legende of Goode Women
Extracts from Prologue to the Canterbury Tales
Extracts from The Tale of the Man of Lawe
Extracts from The Clerkes Tale
Extracts from The Frankeleynes Tale
Extracts from The Knightes Tale
Good Counseil of Chaucer
Extracts from The Romaunt of the Rose
Extracts from The Flower and the Leaf
Extracts from The Court of Love
William Langland. 1332?–1400?. Critical Introduction by Walter W. Skeat
Extracts from The Vision of Piers the Plowman
John Gower. 1325?–1408. Critical Introduction by Thomas Arnold
Extracts from Cinkante Balades
Extracts from Confessio Amantis: Prologue
Alexander and the Robber
The Story of Constance
John Lydgate. c. 1370–c. 1451. Critical Introduction by Thomas Arnold
Extracts from London Lickpenny
Extracts from The Dietary, or Rules for Health
Extracts from Falls of Princes: Description of the Golden Age
Thomas Hoccleve. c. 1368–c. 1426. Critical Introduction by Thomas Arnold
Extracts from the De Regimine Principum
King James I of Scotland. 1394–1437. Critical Introduction by Thomas Humphry Ward
Extract from The King’s Quair
Poem from The Gude and Godlie Ballates
Robert Henryson. 1430?–1506?. Critical Introduction by William Ernest Henley
The Garmond of Fair Ladies
The Taill of the Lyoun and the Mous
William Dunbar. 1460?–1520?. Critical Introduction by John Nichol
Extracts from The Thrissill and the Rois
Extracts from The Goldyn Targe
Extracts from The Dance of the Sevin Deidly Synnis
Extracts from The Lament for the Makaris Quhen He Was Seik
Gawain Douglas. c. 1474–1522. Critical Introduction by Andrew Lang
Extracts from The Palice of Honour: A Desert Terrible
    The Fête Champêtre
    A Ballade in Commendation of Honour
Extracts from the Aeneid: A Scottish Winter Landscape
    The Ghost of Creusa
    Dido’s Hunting
    Sleep
    Spring
    The Tribes of the Dead
    The Destiny of Rome
Stephen Hawes. d. 1523. Critical Introduction by John Churton Collins
Extracts from The Pastime of Pleasure: Dialogue between Graunde Amoure and La Pucel
    Amoure Laments the Absence of La Belle Pucel
    The Character of a True Knight
    Description of La Belle Pucel
John Skelton. 1460?–1529. Critical Introduction by John Churton Collins
A Lullabye
Extract from The Bowge of Courte: Picture of Riot
Extract from The Garlande of Laurell: To Maystress Margaret Hussey
Extract from Colyn Cloute
Sir David Lindsay. 1490?–1555. Critical Introduction by John Nichol
From the Prologue to The Dreme
Extracts from The Testament and Complaynt of the Papingo
Extracts from Ane Satyre of the Threi Estaitis
Extracts from The Monarchie
The Hope of Immortality
Ballads. Critical Introduction by Andrew Lang
Historical: Sir Patrick Spens
    Edom o’ Gordon
Romantic: Glasgerion
    The Douglas Tragedy
    The Twa Corbies
    Waly, Waly
Supernatural: Clerk Saunders
    The Wife of Usher’s Well
    A Lyke-Wake Dirge
A Song of the Scotch Marches: Kinmont Willie
Robin Hood Ballads: Robin Hood Rescuing the Widow’s Three Sons
    Robin Hood’s Death and Burial
Domestic: The Bailiff’s Daughter of Islington
Sir Thomas Wyatt. 1503–1542. Critical Introduction by John Churton Collins
Extracts from Songs and Sonnets
Extract from The Second Satire
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. 1517–1547. Critical Introduction by John Churton Collins
Description of Spring
A Complaint by Night of the Lover Not Beloved
Lines Written in Imprisonment at Windsor
The Means to Attain Happy Life
A Praise of His Love
An Epitaph on Clere, Surrey’s Faithful Friend and Follower
On the Death of Sir Thomas Wyatt
George Gascoigne. d. 1577. Critical Introduction by John W. Hales
The Arraignment of a Lover
A Strange Passion of a Lover
Extracts from The Steel Glass: Piers Ploughman
    Epilogus
Thomas Sackville, Earl of Dorset. 1536–1608. Critical Introduction by Richard William Church
Extract from The Induction
Complaint of the Duke of Buckingham
Sleep
Edmund Spenser. 1552?–1599. Critical Introduction by Richard William Church
Extracts from The Shepheard’s Calender: Fable of the Oak and the Briar
    Chase after Love
    Description of Maying
    The Complaint of Age
Extracts from The Faerie Queene: The Red Cross Knight and Una
    The House of Pride
    Una’s Marriage
    Phaedria and the Idle Lake
    The Cave of Mammon
    The Bower of Bliss
    The Gardens of Venus
    Wooing of Amoret
    The Quelling of the Blatant Beast
    Claims of Mutability Pleaded before Nature
Extract from The Teares of the Muses: Complaint of Thalia (Comedy)
Sonnets
Epithalamion
Sir Philip Sidney. 1554–1586. Critical Introduction by Mary Augusta Ward
Sonnets from Astrophel and Stella
Songs from Astrophel and Stella
Philomela
A Dirge
Two Sonnets
Poems from The Arcadia
Fulke Greville, Lord Brooke. 1554–1628. Critical Introduction by Mary Augusta Ward
Extracts from Mustapha: Chorus of Tartars
    Chorus of Priests
Chorus of Good and Evil Spirits from Alaham
Extracts from Caelica: Seed-time and Harvest
    Elizabetha Regina
    Sonnet: ‘Sion lies waste, and Thy Jerusalem
An Elegy on Sir Philip Sidney
Sir Edward Dyer. 1543–1607. Critical Introduction by Mary Augusta Ward
My Mind to Me a Kingdom Is
To Phillis the Fair Shepherdess
Extracts from Sixe Idillia: Helen’s Epithalamion
    The Prayer of Theocritus for Syracuse
Henry Constable. 1562–1613. Critical Introduction by Andrew Lang
A Pastoral Song
The Shepherd’s Song of Venus and Adonis
Sonnet to Sir Philip Sidney’s Soul
Thomas Watson. 1555–1592. Critical Introduction by Thomas Humphry Ward
Extracts from The Hecatompathia: Passion II
    Passion XL
    Passion LXV
John Lyly. 1555?–1606. Critical Introduction by William Minto
Songs from Plays: Sappho’s Song (from Sappho and Phao)
    Apelles’ Song (from Alexander and Campaspe)
    Pan’s Song (from Midas)
George Peele. 1556–1596. Critical Introduction by William Minto
A Farewell to Sir John Norris and Sir Francis Drake
Robert Greene. 1558–1592. Critical Introduction by Edmund W. Gosse
Sephestia’s Song to Her Child
Samela
Fawnia
The Palmer’s Ode in Never Too Late
Song: ‘Sweet are the thoughts that savour of content
Philomela’s Ode
Orpheus’ Song: ‘He that did sing the motions of the stars
Christopher Marlowe. 1564–1593. Critical Introduction by Andrew Cecil Bradley
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
A Fragment: ‘I walk’d along a stream, for pureness rare
Extracts from the First Sestiad of Hero and Leander
Thomas Lodge. 1558–1625. Critical Introduction by Edmund W. Gosse
Rosalynd’s Madrigal
Rosader’s Description of Rosalynd
The Harmony of Love
Phillis’ Sickness
Love’s Wantonness
William Warner. 1558?–1609. Critical Introduction by George Saintsbury
Extract from Albion’s England: Before the Battle of Hastings
William Shakespeare. 1564–1616. Critical Introduction by Edward Dowden
Extracts from Venus and Adonis
Extracts from Lucrece
Extracts from Sonnets
Songs from Plays: A Morning Song for Imogen (from Cymbeline)
    Silvia (from The Two Gentlemen of Verona)
    Sigh No More, Ladies (from Much Ado about Nothing)
    A Lover’s Lament (from Twelfth Night)
    Ariel’s Song (from The Tempest)
    A Sea Dirge (from The Tempest)
    In the Greenwood (from As You Like It)
    Winter (from Love’s Labour’s Lost)
    Song of Autolycus (from The Winter’s Tale)
Samuel Daniel. 1562–1619. Critical Introduction by George Saintsbury
Sonnet LI. To Delia
Extracts from The History of the Civil War: The Death of Talbot
To the Lady Margaret, Countess of Cumberland
Extract from Hymen’s Triumph
Richard Barnfield. 1574–1627. Critical Introduction by Thomas Humphry Ward
Sonnet from Cynthia: ‘Beauty and Majesty are fallen at odds
Extracts from Poems in Divers Humors: Sonnet to His Friend Maister R. L.: ‘If music and sweet poetry agree
    An Ode: ‘As it fell upon a day
Robert Southwell. c. 1561–1595. Critical Introduction by John W. Hales
Times Go by Turns
Loss in Delay
The Burning Babe
Extract from St. Peter’s Complaint
Sir Walter Raleigh. 1554?–1618. Critical Introduction by John W. Hales
A Vision upon This Conceit of The Fairy Queen
Reply to Marlowe’s ‘The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
The Lie
His Pilgrimage
Verses Found in His Bible in the Gate-House at Westminster
Elizabethan Miscellanies. Critical Introduction by Thomas Humphry Ward
From The Paradyse of Dainty Devises: Amantium Irae (R. Edwards)
From A Handefull of Pleasant Delites: A Proper Sonnet: ‘I smile to see how you devise’ (Anonymous)
From The Arbor of Amorous Devises: A Sweet Lullaby (Anonymous)
From England’s Helicon: A Palinode (Edmund Bolton)
    Phillida and Corydon (Nicolas Breton)
    To Colin Clout (Shepherd Tonie)
    Phillida’s Love-call to Her Corydon, and His Replying (Ignoto)
From Davison’s Poetical Rapsody: A Fiction: How Cupid Made a Nymph Wound Herself with His Arrows (Anonymous, but attributed to A. W.)
    A Sonnet to the Moon (Charles Best)
    Sonnet: ‘Were I as base as is the lowly plain’ (J. Sylvester)
    A Hymn in Praise of Neptune (T. Campion)
    Of Corinna’s Singing (T. Campion)
    Madrigals
George Chapman. 1559?–1634. Critical Introduction by Andrew Lang
The Thames (from Ovid’s Banquet of Sense)
The Spirit of Homer (from The Tears of Peace)
The Procession of Time
Helen on the Rampart (from Iliad III)
The Camp at Night (from Iliad VIII)
The Grief of Achilles for the Slaying of Patroclus, Menoetius’ Son (from Iliad XVIII)
Hermes in Calypso’s Island (from Odyssey V)
Odysseus’ Speech to Nausicaa (from Odyssey VI)
The Song the Sirens Sung (from Odyssey XII)
Odysseus Reveals Himself to His Father (from Odyssey XXIV)
Michael Drayton. 1563–1631. Critical Introduction by George Saintsbury
Queen Margaret to William de la Pool, Duke of Suffolk
To the Cambro-Britons and Their Harp, His Ballad of Agincourt
The Arming of Pigwiggen (from Nymphidia)
Extract from Polyolbion: ‘The Naiads and the nymphs extremely overjoy’d
Sonnet: ‘Since there ’s no help, come let us kiss and part
Joseph Hall. 1574–1656. Critical Introduction by John Churton Collins
The Golden Age
Hollow Hospitality
A Coxcomb
A Deserted Mansion
Advice to Marry Betimes
John Marston. 1575?–1634. Critical Introduction by William Minto
To Detraction
To Everlasting Oblivion
Sir John Davies. 1570–1626. Critical Introduction by Mary Augusta Ward
Extracts from Nosce Teipsum: The Soul Compared to a River
    The Soul Compared to a Virgin Wooed in Marriage
Extract from Orchestra, or A Poeme of Dauncing: Antinous Praises Dancing before Queen Penelope
From Hymnes of Astraea, in Acrosticke Verse: To the Spring
    To the Nightingale
    To the Month of September
John Donne. 1572–1631. Critical Introduction by John W. Hales
Song: ‘Go and catch a falling star
A Valediction Forbidding Mourning
Song: ‘Sweetest love, I do not go
From Verses to Sir Henry Wootton
The Will