Delight in Disorder

Robert Herrick is considered to be a Cavalier Poet, despite never serving at the court or in the English Civil War. His support of the monarchy, his aesthetic sensibility, and his close association with Ben Jonson align him with the Cavalier Poets, who self-titled themselves the “Tribe of Ben” as young men (See: Further Reading & Resources). Richard Lovelace, Sir John Suckling, and Thomas Carew all attended Cambridge with Herrick, and all fell under the influence of Jonson. The Cavalier Poets are often contrasted with the metaphysical poets (e.g., John Donne), who were concerned with analyzing feelings in more elaborate and abstract language than the emotional simplicity favored by the Cavalier Poets. 

Rather than exploring higher consciousness on a theoretical level, the Cavalier Poets preferred to discuss sensuality and materiality. They used a simple verse style and often idealized nature. Their poems were characterized by conceit or wit; they produced polished elegant lyrics that urged people to engage with life or embrace the philosophy of carpe diem (“seize the day”). Jonson urged them to study ancient poets and emulate them, which Herrick routinely did. Herrick’s “Delight in Disorder” may be written in tribute to Jonson’s “