Poetry Codex

Metaphysical & Cavalier

Thomas Flatman

1635–1688

Thomas Flatman (1635–1688) was an English poet and miniature painter, born in London, educated at Winchester and New College, Oxford, and called to the bar at the Inner Temple. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1668 and was admired for his portrait miniatures as much as for his verse.

His Poems and Songs went through four editions between 1674 and 1686. They range from Pindaric odes on the deaths of public figures, through devotional pieces such as the Hymn for the Morning, to witty songs and satires. The text here follows George Saintsbury's Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, vol. III (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1921), leaving out his Latin pieces and his translations and paraphrases of Horace, Ovid and others.

Poems (92)

  1. On the Death of the Right Honourable Thomas Earl of Ossory
  2. To the Memory of the Incomparable Orinda
  3. The Review
  4. To My Reverend Friend, Dr. Sam. Woodford, On His Excellent Version of the Psalms
  5. On the Death of the Truly Valiant George Duke of Albemarle
  6. The Retirement
  7. A Thought of Death
  8. Psalm xxxix. Vers. 4, 5
  9. Hymn for the Morning
  10. Anthem for the Evening
  11. Death
  12. The Happy Man
  13. On Mr. Johnson's Several Shipwrecks
  14. An Explanation of an Emblem Engraven by V. H
  15. For Thoughts
  16. Against Thoughts
  17. A Dooms-Day Thought
  18. Psalm xv. Paraphrased
  19. Job
  20. Nudus Redibo
  21. An Elegy on the Earl of Sandwich
  22. An Epitaph on the Earl of Sandwich
  23. Pastoral
  24. On the Death of Mr. Pelham Humfries
  25. The Mistake
  26. The Incredulous
  27. Weeping at Parting
  28. The Desperate Lover
  29. The Fatigue
  30. The Resolve
  31. Love's Bravo
  32. The Expectation
  33. Coridon Converted
  34. The Humourist
  35. Fading Beauty
  36. A Dialogue: Cloris and Parthenissa
  37. A Dialogue: Orpheus and Eurydice
  38. The Bachelor's Song
  39. The Bachelor's Song: The Second Part
  40. An Appeal to Cats in the Business of Love
  41. Advice to an Old Man of Sixty-three, About to Marry a Girl of Sixteen
  42. The Slight
  43. The Penitent
  44. The Defiance
  45. The Surrender
  46. The Whim
  47. The Renegado
  48. Phyllis Withdrawn
  49. The Malecontent
  50. The Indifferent
  51. The Harbour
  52. The Unconcerned
  53. The Immovable
  54. The Wish
  55. The Cordial. In the Year 1657
  56. Celadon on Delia Singing
  57. The Advice
  58. To Mr. Sam. Austin of Wadham Coll. Oxon, On His Most Unintelligible Poems
  59. To My Ingenious Friend Mr. William Faithorne on His Book of Drawing, Etching, and Graving
  60. A Character of a Belly-God
  61. The Disappointed
  62. Il Infido
  63. Il Immaturo
  64. On Mrs. Dove, Wife to the Reverend Dr. Henry Dove
  65. On the Eminent Dr. Edward Browne's Travels
  66. On Poverty
  67. Urania to Her Friend Parthenissa
  68. On the Death of the Earl of Rochester
  69. On Dr. Woodford's Paraphrase on the Canticles
  70. To the Excellent Master of Music, Signior Pietro Reggio, on His Book of Songs
  71. On the Death of My Dear Brother Mr. Richard Flatman
  72. Coridon on the Death of His Dear Alexis, Ob. Jan. 28, 1682/3
  73. A Song on New-Year's-day Before the King, Car. 2
  74. On the King's Return to White-hall, After His Summer's Progress, 1684
  75. To Mr. Isaac Walton, on His Publication of Thealma
  76. Pastoral Dialogue
  77. Castabella Going to Sea
  78. On the Death of My Worthy Friend Mr. John Oldham
  79. On the Death of the Illustrious Prince Rupert
  80. On the Much Lamented Death of Our Late Sovereign Lord King Charles II. of Blessed Memory
  81. To His Sacred Majesty King James II
  82. Upon a Chine of Beef
  83. On the Death of the Eminently Ennobled Charles Capell, Esq.
  84. On the Picture of the Author, Mr. Sanderson
  85. On the Noble Art of Painting
  86. On Mistress S. W., Who Cured My Hand by a Plaster Applied to the Knife Which Hurt Me
  87. Song: 'Oh no, oh no! it cannot be that I'
  88. Epitaph on His Eldest Son, Thomas, 1682
  89. Lines to John Northleigh
  90. Lines to Archbishop Sancroft
  91. On the Death of His Grace, James, Duke of Ormond: A Pindaric Ode
  92. Job, Chapter xxvii. Paraphrased

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