This fully-annotated anthology of sixteenth-century English verse features generous selections from the canonical poets, alongside judicious selections from lesser-known authors.




Includes complete works or substantial extracts of longer poems wherever possible, including Book III of the ‘Faerie Queene’ and the whole of ‘Astrophil and Stella’.


Covers a range of genres, including the love lyric, mythological narrative, sacred poetry and political poetry.


Encourages readers to discover unusual and interesting connections and contrasts between poems and poets.


Detailed annotations facilitate close reading of the poems.