Investigation of the Latin poetry produced by British poets from the sixteenth century onwards affords an indispensible insight into a dominant strand in the intellectual, cultural and educational life of the British Isles during this period. At this time, the composition of Latin poetry was a regular feature of school curricula and a popular leisure-time activity of the educated elite. Such examination also sheds light on the poetic principles and practice of major British poets (such as Campion, Cowley, Herbert and Milton) who penned a large quantity of neo-Latin verse in addition to their better-known vernacular works.
