Birth date: 
1563
Death date: 
1631
Birth town: 
Warwickshire
Country: 
England

Drayton was born at Hartshill in Warwickshire and as a youth he became page to Sir Henry Goodere of Polesworth. He fell in love with Sir Henry's daughter, Anne, and worshipped her as 'Idea' in his poetry. Even after her marriage to Sir Henry Rainford he continued to celebrate her charms in verse, and he never married.

He had wanted to be a poet from the age of ten, and achieved his ambition through hard work and a succession of noble patrons, in spite of some ill-fortune. His first work was a verse paraphrase of parts of the Old Testament and Apocrypha, The Harmony of the Church. Ironically, the Harmony caused offence among the authorities and was banned. When James I became king in 1603 Drayton angled for royal favour with To the Majesty of King James: a Gratulatory Poem. Unfortunately he omitted to include the customary tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth, and this gaffe probably cost him an appointment at court.

In spite of this setback, Drayton had a fairly successful career as a poet, and he counted Ben Jonson and William Drummond of Hawthornden among his friends.

Poems by this Poet

Displaying 1 - 10 of 375
Poem Post date Ratingsort ascending Comments
The Second Nimphall 19 May 2014
0
No votes yet
0
Amour 26 - 5 September 2014
0
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0
To the New Year 19 May 2014
0
No votes yet
0
To His Friend, Master CHR. M 5 September 2014
0
No votes yet
0
Sonnet XLV Muses, Which Sadly Sit 31 July 2013
0
No votes yet
0
Idea - 33 19 May 2014
0
No votes yet
0
The Legend of Great Cromwell 19 May 2014
0
No votes yet
0
The Seventh Nimphall 5 September 2014
0
No votes yet
0
Cassamen and Dowsabell 29 November 2013
5
Average: 5 (1 vote)
0
The Sixe and Twentieth Song 19 May 2014
0
No votes yet
0

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