A long overdue book-length appraisal of the major seventeenth-century poet Robert Herrick. The collection reads his poetry in the context of his literary, musical, political, and religious affiliations and looks at how he both presents and constructs ideals of community through his work. [an] outstanding collection of essays by a host of international critics ... a significant edition that offers comprehensive and valuable insights into the poetry of Herrick and its role in early modern literary culture as well as into the theory and practice of literary criticism at this point in time