Lycidas

Lycidas is a pastoral elegy by John Milton, written in 1637 and published in 1638. It commemorates Edward King, a Cambridge fellow who died at sea, and uses the allegorical figure Lycidas—the pastoral shepherd—to frame the lament. The poem moves from intimate grief for a friend to broader meditations on poetry, learning, and the responsibilities of the poet.

The work follows the conventions of the pastoral elegy while blending classical allusions with Christian eschatology. Milton’s speaker laments the loss, invokes muses and mythic figures, and then broadens the scope to address issues of poetic vocation, public virtue, and the fragility of fame. The poem also engages with questions about literary fame, the role of poets in society, and the moral purposes of poetry in troubled times.

Lycidas was first published in Milton’s early collection of poems (1638) and is widely regarded as one of his most important early works. It is celebrated as a landmark in the English pastoral tradition and is studied for its combination of elegiac emotion, classical allusion, and ethical reflection. The piece has influenced later English poetry and is frequently cited in discussions of Milton’s development as a poet and theorist of poetry’s social function.