Richard Lovelace (1618-1658)
Poet, born in Woolwich, son of Sir William Lovelace, was educated at Oxford, where he is described by Anthony Wood as “the most amiable and beautiful person that eye ever beheld.” He was an enthusiastic royalist, and spent his whole fortune in supporting that cause. For presenting “the Kentish petition” in favour of the King, he was imprisoned in 1642: there, he wrote his famous song, When Love with unconfined wings. After his release he served in the French army, and was wounded at Dunkirk.On his way back, he was again imprisoned, 1648, and produced his Lucasta: Epodes, Odes, etc. His best and well-known literary output is mostly represented by some lyrics that, though often careless, are graceful and tender. He died in poverty in 1658.
From Biographical Dictionary of English Literature - the Everyman Edition of 1910

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