author
George Wither
1588–1667
A sharp, energetic voice from seventeenth-century England, he wrote poems, satires, pamphlets, and hymns while living through civil war, censorship, and political upheaval. He is often remembered for the range of his writing as much as for its persistence.
2 Audiobooks
Pastoral Poems by Nicholas Breton, Selected Poetry by George Wither, and Pastoral Poetry by William Browne (of Tavistock)
by Nicholas Breton, William Browne, George Wither
About the author
Born in Hampshire in 1588, George Wither was an English poet and pamphleteer whose long career stretched across one of the most turbulent periods in English history. Reliable reference sources describe him as especially prolific, with work ranging from pastoral and lyrical verse to satire, religious writing, and political commentary.
He studied for a time at Magdalen College, Oxford, left without taking a degree, and later made his way to London. His writing brought him both attention and trouble: his satirical work was controversial, and later accounts note his strong Puritan sympathies and his active engagement with the conflicts of his age.
Wither died in London in 1667. He is still best known as a distinctive seventeenth-century voice whose songs and hymns outlasted many of the immediate political battles that first shaped his reputation.