Who is Michael Drayton

Michael Drayton (1563 – 23 December 1631) was an English poet who came to prominence in the Elizabethan era. He died on 23 December 1631 in London.

Early life

Drayton was born at Hartshill, near Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England. Almost nothing is known about his early life, beyond the fact that in 1580 he was in the service of Thomas Goodere of Collingham, Nottinghamshire. Nineteenth- and twentieth-century scholars, on the basis of scattered allusions in his poems and dedications, suggested that Drayton might have studied at the University of Oxford, and been intimate with the Polesworth branch of the Goodere family. More recent work has cast doubt on those speculations.

Literary career

1590–1602

In 1590 he produced hi...
Read Full Biography of Michael Drayton


Michael Drayton Poems

  • Sonnets: Idea Xxii To Folly
    With fools and children good discretion bears;
    Then, honest people, bear with love and me,
    Nor older yet nor wiser made by years,
    Amongst the rest of fools and children be. ...
  • Sonnets: Idea Xliii
    Why should your fair eyes with such sov'reign grace
    Disperse their rays on every vulgar spirit,
    Whilst I in darkness in the self-same place,
    Get not one glance to recompense my merit? ...
  • Amour 10
    Oft taking pen in hand, with words to cast my woes,
    Beginning to account the sum of all my cares,
    I well perceiue my griefe innumerable growes,
    And still in reckonings rise more millions of dispayres. ...
  • From T. Morley's First Book Of Ballets (1595). - Mr. M.d. To The Author
    Such was old Orpheus cunning,
    That sencelesse things drew neere him,
    And heards of beasts to heare him,
    The stock, the stone, the Oxe, the Asse came running, ...
  • Sonnet 43
    Why should your faire eyes with such soueraine grace,
    Dispearse their raies on euery vulgar spirit,
    Whilst I in darknes in the selfesame place,
    Get not one glance to recompence my merit: ...
Read All Poems


Top 10 most used topics by Michael Drayton

Sonnet 72 Love 63 I Love You 63 Long 58 Sweet 53 Good 51 True 42 Earth 40 Heart 38 Time 38


Michael Drayton Quotes

Read All Quotes


Comments about Michael Drayton

Mnpdnashville: mnpd officers rex engelbert, a 4-year veteran, and michael collazo, a 9-year veteran, were part of a team of first responders to the covenant campus mon morning. they fired on the active shooter, who was killed. this is their body camera footage.
Jdmccafferty: map of caernarfon, merioneth and anglesey - illustration to part i of michael drayton's 'polyolbion, or a chorographicall description of great britain' 1612-22, (british museum)
Msnbc: in the hopes of discrediting michael cohen, donald trump is basically arguing, “don’t trust the guy who committed crimes for me." (via maddowblog)
Kves80: best of luck to michael wycherley and padraig brandon representing the republic of ireland in the 5 nations ploughing challenge match this weekend at market drayton shropshire
Wmjobsuk: michael drayton junior school: transition mentor: scale i: michael drayton junior school: salary scale: single status – band i17-i20 approx. salary £10,220 -£11,165 temporary 2 years fixed term position – 15 hours per week…
Read All Comments


Write your comment about Michael Drayton


Poem of the day

Edgar Albert Guest Poem
The Killing Place
 by Edgar Albert Guest

We're hiking along at a two-forty pace
We 're making life seem like a man-killing race,
With our nerves all on edge and our jaws firmly set
We go rushing along; with our brows lined with sweat
And our cheeks pale and drawn every minute we dash,
And the goal that we 're after is merely more cash.

We 're out for the money, the greenbacks and gold,
...

Read complete poem

Popular Poets