Michael Drayton

Born in 1563 in Warwickshire, Michael Drayton became one of the notable poets of late Elizabethan England and continued writing into the reigns of James I and Charles I. His work ranged widely, but he was especially drawn to historical and national subjects, giving his poetry a strong sense of England's past and identity.

His best-known project is Poly-Olbion, an ambitious poem that celebrates the rivers, hills, forests, and legends of England and Wales. He also wrote sonnets, pastorals, and historical poems, and he is often credited as the first English-language writer to compose odes in the manner of Horace.

Drayton died in London on December 23, 1631, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Though some of his grandest works can feel very of their time, his curiosity, range, and love of place still make him a fascinating figure in English literature.