The Cavalier poets

The Cavalier poets
Are a members of the aristocracy, wrote their poems in the 17th century and they supported the King Charles I, who was later executed as a result of a civil war. They were known as Royalists. Cavalier poetry mirrored the attitudes of courtiers. The meaning of cavalier is showing arrogant or offhand disregard, carefree and nonchalant. This describes the attitude of Cavalier poets.
The Cavalier poets were fond of a tight and chiseled form and practiced shorter lines, precise diction and a tight logical structure. The themes for their poetry included love, cynicism, pagan sensibility and conventional Petrarchism. Some of the Cavalier poets were also influenced by Donne’s Metaphysical poetry like Carew and Suckling. Unlike the Metaphysical poets, the Cavaliers did not engage in serious debates. In fact, Cavalier poetry is much simpler than that of the Metaphysical poetry. Wit and a lot of eroticism are visible in the Cavalier poetry. Cavalier poets were writers of witty and polished lyrics of courtship and gallantry