In this series, a contemporary poet selects and introduces a
poet of the past. By their choice of poems and by the personal
and critical reactions they express in their prefaces, the
editors offer insights into their own work as well as providing
an accessible and passionate introduction to some of the
greatest poets of our literature. Andrew Marvell was born in
Yorkshire in 1624 and was educated in Hull and Cambridge. He
became the unofficial laureate to Cromwell and in 1657 he took
over from Milton as the Latin Secretary to the Council of State.
Famed as a satirist during his lifetime Marvell was a virtually
unknown lyric poet until rediscovered in the nineteenth century.
However, it was only after the First World War that his poetry
gained popularity thanks to the efforts of T. S. Eliot and Sir
Herbert Grierson. Marvell died in 1678. Keep in touch with all
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