Andrew Marvell: The Chameleon

Description

The seventeenth-century poet Andrew Marvell (1621–1678) is one of the most intriguing figures in English literature. A noted civil servant under Cromwell’s Protectorate, he has been variously identified as a patriot, spy, conspirator, concealed homosexual, father to the liberal tradition, and incendiary satirical pamphleteer and freethinker. But while Marvell’s poetry and prose has attracted a wide modern following, his prose is known only to specialists, and much of his personal life remains shrouded in mystery. Nigel Smith’s pivotal biography provides an unparalleled look into Marvell’s life, from his early employment as a tutor and gentleman’s companion to his suspicious death, reputedly a politically fueled poisoning. Drawing on exhaustive archival research, the voluminous corpus of Marvell’s previously little known writing, and recent scholarship across several disciplines, Smith’s portrait becomes the definitive account of this elusive life. CONTENTS MAPS PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Chapter 1. Introduction: The Problem of Andrew Marvell Chapter 2. Roots Chapter 3. A Decade of Crises Chapter 4. Poetry and Revolution Chapter 5. The Tutor Chapter 6. Civil Service Chapter 7. Cavalier Revenge Chapter 8. The Painter and the Poet Dare Chapter 9. Cabal Days Chapter 10. Indulgence and Rehearsal Chapter 11. Brute Divines Chapter 12. Arbitrary Power Chapter 13. Afterlife and Revelation List of Abbreviations Notes Index