Ralph Knevet

Ralph Knevet, Shorter Poems: A critical edition, 1966. Courtesy Abe Books.

Rev. Ralph Knevet (or Knevett) (1600-1671) was an English poet.

Life

Knevet was a native of Norfolk. He entered Peterhouse, Cambridge, in 1617, earning an LL.B. in 1624.

He seems to have been closely associated as tutor or chaplain with the family of Sir William Paston of Oxnead. He traveled with the Paston family to Rome in 1636. He is probably the Ralph Knevet who was rector of Lyng, Norfolk, from 1652 till his death in 1671, at the age of 71; he was buried in the chancel of his church.

Writing

Knevet published:

1. Stratisticon; or, a Discourse of Militarie Discipline, 1628, 4to, in verse.
2. Rhodon and Iris: A Pastoral, as it was presented at the Florists' Feast in Norwich, May 3, 1631, London, 1631, 4to, dedicated to Nicholas Bacon, esq., of Gillingham, with an address to "the Society of Florists," and verses by Ri. Pert, Will. Dennye, and John Mingay. The scene is laid in Thessaly, and the metre is very irregular (Brit. Mus.).
3. Funerall Elegies, consecrated to the Immortal Memory of the Right Hon. Lady Katherine Paston, late Wife to the truly Noble and Heroicke William Paston of Oxned, esquire, London, 1637, 4to, dedicated to Lady Katherine's sister, Lady Elizabeth Bertie, daughter of Robert, earl of Lindsey. The book is very rare. A copy is in the Grenville Library at the British Museum.

Among unpublished papers, now in the British Museum, of Sir William Paston and other members of the family, is a collection of sacred poems by Knevet, entitled A Gallery to the Temple: Lyricall poemes upon sacred occasions, by Ra. Kneuett’ (Addit. MS. 27447, ff. 11–67). The verse is imitated from George Herbert, and the collection is intended to form a supplement to Herbert's Temple.

Publications

• Stratiōtikon; or, A discourse of militarie discipline: Shewing the necessitie therof according to these perilous times. London: Miles Flesher, 1628.
• Rhodon and Isis: A pastorall. London: Michael Sparke, 1631.
• A Supplement of 'The Faerie Queene'; in three books. London: 1635
  • (edited by Christopher Burlinson). Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 2015.
• Funerall Elegies: Consecrated to the ... memory of ... the Lady K. Paston. London: T. Cotes, for Andrew Crooke, 1637.
• A Gallery to the Temple: Lyrical poems upon sacred occasions (edited by Giuliano Pellegrini). Pisa, Italy: Goliardica, 1954.
• Shorter Poems: A critical edition (edited by Amy M. Charles). Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Press, 1966.

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.

See also

• List of British poets

References

•  Lee, Sidney (1892) "Knevet, Ralph" in Lee, Sidney Dictionary of National Biography 31 London: Smith, Elder, p. 243 . Wikisource, Web, July 27, 2016.

External links

Poems

• "The Vote"
• Ralph Knevet at AllPoetry ("A Gallery to the Temple: Moderation)"
• "Elegy 3"
• Ralph Knevet at Poetry Nook (128 poems)

About

• Rev. Ralph Knevet (1600-1671) at English Poetry, 1579-1830

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, the Dictionary of National Biography (edited by Leslie Stephen). London: Smith, Elder, 1885-1900. Original article is at: Knevet, Ralph