Robert Herrick

Explore the life and poetic legacy of Robert Herrick (1591–1674): his lyric voice, Hesperides, classic poems like “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time”, his context among the Cavalier poets, and his continuing influence.

Introduction

Robert Herrick was an English lyric poet and Anglican cleric, born in 1591 and buried in 1674. Hesperides remains a touchstone for students of 17th-century English poetry.

Though Herrick was not fully appreciated in his own time, modern readers regard him as one of the most accomplished non-dramatic poets of his era.

In what follows, we examine his background, his poetic development and themes, his later years, his influence, and some memorable lines that persist in English literary memory.

Early Life and Education

• Robert Herrick was baptised on 24 August 1591 in Cheapside, London.

• He was the seventh child and fourth son of Nicholas Herrick, a goldsmith, and Julia (Stone) Herrick.

• In November 1592, when Robert was only about one year old, his father died after “falling” from a fourth-floor window. The exact circumstances remain uncertain.

• His mother did not remarry, and young Herrick presumably grew up under the care of extended family.

Apprenticeship and Academic Pursuits

• Around 1607, at age 16, he was apprenticed to his uncle Sir William Herrick, a goldsmith and jeweller to the king.

• The apprenticeship lasted six years, after which he entered St John’s College, Cambridge.

• Later, he migrated to Trinity Hall to complete his degree, graduating in 1617.

• In recognition of further scholarly standing, he obtained his M.A. about 1620.

During his Cambridge years, Herrick also associated himself with the literary circle known as the Sons of Ben (admirers of Ben Jonson), and he dedicated several poems to Jonson.

Clerical Life & Poetry: Middle Years

Ordination and Patronage

• Herrick was ordained into the Church of England in 1623.

• In 1627, he joined a military expedition as chaplain to George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, aimed at relieving French Protestants on the Île de Ré.

• In 1629, Herrick was appointed vicar of Dean Prior in Devon, a rural parish where he would compose much of his later poetry.

The life in Devon, surrounded by the rhythms of nature and village life, became fertile ground for his poetic imagination—his pastoral, sensual, and seasonal poems often reflect that setting.

Turmoil: Civil War & Ejection

• During the English Civil War, Herrick’s tenure was interrupted. In 1647, he was ejected from his vicarage for refusing to accept the Solemn League and Covenant, a Puritan mandate.

• He returned to London, depending on friends’ support, and turned to preparing his poetic works for publication.

• In 1648, his collection Hesperides; or, the Works both Human and Divine (including the spiritual poems Noble Numbers) was published.

Restoration and Later Years

• After the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, Herrick petitioned for reinstatement. Because he had earlier celebrated the births of Charles and James in his poetry, he regained favor.

• He resumed his post at Dean Prior in the summer of 1662, and served there until his death.

• Herrick never married; the women in his poems are thought to be imaginative or symbolic.

• He passed away in October 1674, and was buried on 15 October in Devon.

Major Work and Poetic Themes

Hesperides & Noble Numbers

Hesperides, published in 1648, collects a vast array of Herrick’s secular poems—some 1200 or more lyrical pieces—while Noble Numbers contains his spiritual or religious poems.

The title Hesperides draws on Greek myth (the evening nymphs who tended the golden apples)—a metaphor for the poet’s orchard of poetic fruits.

Themes, Style & Influence

• Carpe diem / fleeting time: His most famous poem “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” urges readers to make the most of youth:

  “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, / Old time is still a-flying; / And this same flower that smiles today / Tomorrow will be dying.”

• Sensuality & love: Many of his earlier poems display bodily, erotic imagery, praise of female beauty, and playful intimacy (e.g. Upon Julia’s Clothes, Corinna’s Going a Maying).

• Nature, seasons, rural life: He celebrates flowers, the cycle of spring, village festivities, country customs, and natural beauties.

• Spiritual reflection: In Noble Numbers and in later poems, Herrick shows a more pious side—religious themes, mortality, grace.

• Lyrical clarity & classical influence: Herrick’s verse is known for its directness, musicality, and classical models (especially Roman and Horatian lyric).

• He belonged to the Cavalier poets and was one of the most original among the “Sons of Ben,” reviving the classical lyric in his day.

Reputation & Influence

• In the centuries immediately after his life, Herrick’s reputation waned; he was sometimes dismissed as a minor or occasional poet.

• However, by the 19th and especially 20th centuries, critics and scholars began to reassess his work more favorably, recognizing the coherence of Hesperides, his poetic craft, and his lyric achievements.

• His lines (especially “Gather ye rosebuds…”) have become part of the English poetic canon and are frequently anthologized.

• Many composers have set his poems to music.

• He continues to influence lyric poets who favor clarity, concision, and the celebration of everyday pleasures.

Selected Quotes & Lines

Here are some enduring lines or short excerpts that reflect Herrick’s poetic voice:

• “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, / Old time is still a-flying...” (from To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time)

• “Whenas in silks my Julia goes, / Then, then (methinks) how sweetly flows / That liquefaction of her clothes.” (from Upon Julia’s Clothes)

• “Come, let us goe, while we are in our prime; / And take the harmlesse doldrie of the time.” (from Corinna’s Going a Maying)

• “Thus I / Pass by / and die, / As one / Unknown / And gone.” (a short monometer by Herrick)

These lines encapsulate his themes of transience, beauty, and lyric tenderness.

Lessons & Insights from Herrick’s Life

1. Embrace mortality — live fully.
   Herrick’s frequent invocation of transience encourages readers to seize present joys (youth, love, nature) because time slips away.

2. Balance sensual and spiritual.
   His poetry integrates both erotic celebration and reverent reflection, showing complexity in life’s pleasures and duties.

3. Art arises from place.
   His years in Devon show how rootedness in nature and rural rhythms can nourish imaginative vision.

4. Resilience amid political upheaval.
   Even when ejected from office, Herrick turned to his craft and preserved his vision until restoration returned him to peace.

5. Legacy can be latent, not instant.
   Herrick’s true influence emerged after centuries; devotion to craft matters more than immediate fame.

Conclusion

Robert Herrick stands as a lyric poet whose lightness — a celebration of love, nature, summer, and the fleeting moment — carries deep awareness of time and mortality. His Hesperides collection remains a rich trove of poetic voices: witty, sensual, meditative, spiritual. Though he lived in turbulent times, his verse often retreats to the small, beautiful particulars of life.