1640 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature.
Events
- Early? - Poems written by Wil. Shake-speare, Gent. is published by John Benson in London, the first collection of Shakespeare's non-dramatic poetry, although incomplete and mangled and with some male pronouns changed to female in the sonnets.
- English Cavalier poet Richard Lovelace, serving in the Bishops' Wars in Scotland, writes "To Lucasta, Going to the Warres"
Works published
- Francis Beaumont, Poems, including a translation from the Latin poetry of Ovid's Metamorphoses, which might not be by Beaumont; several other poems in the book are definitely not by him, according to The Concise Oxford Chronology of English Literature
- Thomas Carew, Poems, including "Coelum Brittanicum" 1634
- Richard Flecknoe, The Affections of a Pious Soule, unto our Savior-Christ, prose and poetry
- Ben Jonson:
- * Art of Poetry, translated from the Latin of Horace; also contains Execration Against Vulcan; The Masque of the Gypsies and Epigrams to Severall Noble Personages in this Kingdome; posthumous edition
- * The Workes of Benjamin Jonson, the second folio; Volume 1 reprints Workes 1616
- Richard Mather and John Eliot, and Thomas Weld The Whole Booke of Psalmes Faithfully Translated into English Metre, commonly known as the Bay Psalm Book, English Colonial American work
- Francis Quarles, Enchyridion
- Nathaniel Richards, The Tragedy of Messallina, the Roman Emperesse
- John Tatham, ''The Fancies Theater''
Births
Death years link to the corresponding " in poetry" article:- December 14 - Aphra Behn, born Eaffrey Johnson, English woman playwright and poet
- Nozawa Bonchō 野沢 凡兆, Japanese haikai poet
Deaths
Birth years link to the corresponding " in poetry" article:- February/March - Richard Rowlands, Anglo-Dutch antiquarian and writer
- March 22 - Thomas Carew, English poet
- April 2
- * Paul Fleming, German poet and physician
- * Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski, Polish Jesuit and Latin-language poet
- April 28 - William Alabaster, English poet and playwright
- September 12 - William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling,, Scottish statesman, courtier, poet and writer of rhymed tragedies
- October 1 - Claudio Achillini, Italian polymath and poet
- Charles Aleyn, English poet
- Daniel Naborowski, Polish Baroque poet
- Walter Quin, Irish-born English court poet and author writing in English, Latin, French and Italian