Andrew Marvell (1621–1678) was an English metaphysical poet and politician, author of To His Coy Mistress, The Garden and An Horatian Ode upon Cromwell's Return from Ireland. Assistant to John Milton in Cromwell's government and later a member of Parliament, he was better known in his lifetime as a satirist than as a lyric poet.
Hull and Cambridge
Andrew Marvell was born in 1621 in Yorkshire, the son of a clergyman who became lecturer at Holy Trinity Church in Hull. He studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he wrote his first poems in Latin and Greek.
His father drowned crossing the Humber in 1641. Marvell then travelled for several years in Holland, France, Italy and Spain, perhaps as a tutor, learning several languages and avoiding the first years of the English Civil War.
Nun Appleton and Cromwell
Around 1650 he became tutor to Mary Fairfax, the young daughter of Lord Fairfax, the retired commander of the parliamentary army, at Nun Appleton House in Yorkshire. Most of his finest lyrics, including The Garden and Upon Appleton House, probably date from these years.
He wrote An Horatian Ode upon Cromwell's Return from Ireland in 1650, a subtle poem that praises Cromwell while showing sympathy for the executed King Charles I. In 1657 he became assistant to John Milton, Latin Secretary to Cromwell's Council of State.
The member for Hull
From 1659 until his death, Marvell sat in Parliament as member for Hull, writing regular letters to his constituents. After the Restoration he helped to save Milton from punishment, and wrote prose and verse satires against corruption at the court of Charles II.
He died in London in 1678. His lyric poems, almost unknown in his lifetime, were published in 1681 as Miscellaneous Poems by a woman who claimed to be his widow. They were rediscovered in the twentieth century, notably by T. S. Eliot.
Anecdotes
A mysterious widow
The Miscellaneous Poems of 1681 were published by Mary Palmer, Marvell's housekeeper, who claimed to have been secretly married to him, probably to secure money he had left. The claim was disputed, but without her the poems might have been lost.
Defending Milton
After the return of Charles II in 1660, John Milton, who had defended the execution of Charles I, was arrested and in danger of his life. Marvell, as a member of Parliament, is believed to have used his influence to help secure his release.
Frequently asked questions
What are Marvell's most famous poems?
To His Coy Mistress, The Garden, The Definition of Love, Upon Appleton House and An Horatian Ode upon Cromwell's Return from Ireland.
What is a metaphysical poet?
One of a group of seventeenth-century poets, including John Donne and George Herbert, known for intellectual wit, surprising comparisons and an argumentative tone.
What was Marvell's connection with Milton?
He served as Milton's assistant in Cromwell's government from 1657 and helped protect him after the Restoration.