King Henry VIII established the Church of England, separating from the authority of the Pope in Rome with the Act of Supremacy. This event initiated the English Reformation, creating a distinct national church that blended Catholic and Protestant elements and profoundly shaping English religious identity. The English Reformation influenced the development of English literature, including the poetry of the Tudor and Stuart periods.

The English Reformation shaped the poetic traditions of England from the Tudor court poets to the Metaphysicals, creating a literature that navigated the tensions between Catholic and Protestant sensibilities. The translation of the Bible into English, culminating in the King James Version of 1611, profoundly influenced the language of English poetry for centuries.