Thomas Otway, born on 3 March 1652 and buried on 16 April 1685 after his death in London on 14 April, lived only thirty-three years, yet he secured a place among the most affecting dramatists of Restoration England. In an age remembered for its polished wit, sexual comedy, heroic rhetoric, and political quarrels, Otway brought a distinctive intensity to the public stage. His finest plays, above all The Orphan and Ven…
“I love You, I dote on You; Desire makes me mad, when I am near You; and Despair, when I am from You.”
Neighbourhood:
Death & Mortality, Dramatic Poets, Love Poets, Restoration Poets
Emotional landscape: Longing, Tenderness, Sorrow
Richard Lovelace, born on 9 December 1617 and dead by 1657, occupies a distinctive place in English literary history as one of the finest poets associated with the Cavalier tradition. His name is inseparable from two of the most frequently quoted lyrics of the seventeenth century: “I could not love thee, Dear, so much, / Loved I not Honour more” and “Stone walls do not a prison make, / Nor iron bars a cage.” Such mem…
Neighbourhood:
Cavalier Poets, Love Poets, Metaphysical Poets, Restoration Poets
Emotional landscape: Longing, Sorrow, Tenderness
