This selection makes available the full range of Robert Herrick’s poetry: joyful eroticism, warm observations of rural life and shrewd epigrams, shadowed by an elegiac awareness of mortality and the fragility of beauty. The poems are animated by Herrick’s humane and generous enjoyment of life, qualities that have made him one of the best-loved of English poets. David Jesson-Dibley’s selection of the most important of Herrick’s poems is arranged thematically, providing an introduction for readers new to Herrick, and a fresh perspective for those already familiar with his poetry. The introduction sets Herrick in the context of his times and contains suggestions for further reading.