1642 in poetry

Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France).

Events

 * May–June – English Cavalier poet Richard Lovelace is incarcerated in the Gatehouse Prison, Westminster for defying Parliament, during which time he perhaps writes To Althea, from Prison

Works published

 * John Denham, Cooper's Hill, the first example in English of a poem devoted to local description, in this case the Thames scenery around the author's home at Egham in Surrey; the poem was rewritten many times and later received high praise from Samuel Johnson, although Denham's reputation later ebbed
 * Arthur Johnston, died 1641, Opera, Scottish poet writing in Latin
 * Sir Francis Kynaston, Leoline and Sydanis
 * Henry More, Psychodia Platonica; or, A Platonicall Song of the Soul
 * Alexander Ross, Mel Heliconium; or, Poeticall Honey
 * John Taylor, Mad Fashions, Odd Fashions, All Out of Fashions; or, The Emblems of those Distracted Times

Births
Death years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:
 * Abdul-Qādir Bēdil (died 1720), Persian poet and Sufi
 * Yusuf Nabi (died 1712), Turkish diwan poet
 * Ihara Saikaku (died 1693), Japanese poet and creator of the "floating world" genre of Japanese prose, ukiyo-zōshi
 * Thomas Shadwell (died 1692), English poet and playwright appointed poet laureate in 1689
 * Edward Taylor (died 1729), Colonial American poet, physician and clergyman
 * December 30 – Vincenzo da Filicaja (died 1707), Italian poet

Deaths
Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:
 * June 1 – Sir John Suckling (born 1609), English
 * John Chalkhill (born 1594), English
 * Francis Kynaston (born 1587), English courtier, poet and translator
 * James Mabbe (born 1572), English scholar, poet and translator