16th century in poetry

Works published

 * Hamzah Fansuri writes in the Malay language.
 * The compilation of Romances de los Señores de Nueva España, a collection of Aztec poetry (including pre-Columbian works).

England

 * John Skelton (c. 1460–1529)
 * George Gascoigne (1535–1578)
 * Sir Walter Raleigh (1552–1618)
 * Edmund Spenser (1552–1599)
 * Sir Philip Sidney (1554–1586)
 * Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593)
 * William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
 * John Donne (c. 1572–1631)
 * Ben Jonson (c. 1572–1637)
 * Robert Herrick (1591–1674)
 * George Herbert (1593–1633)
 * Young William (c. 1395-1433)

France

 * Jean Molinet (1435–1507), French poet, chronicler, and composer
 * Olivier de la Marche (1426–1501), French poet and author
 * Clément Marot (1496–1544)
 * Marguerite de Navarre (1492–1549)
 * Bonaventure des Périers (c. 1501 – 1544)
 * Louise Labe (1526–1566)
 * Maurice Sceve (1511–1564)
 * Pierre de Ronsard (1524–1585)
 * Joachim du Bellay (1525–1560)
 * Jean de Sponde (1557–1595)
 * Jean de la Ceppede (1550–1622)
 * Agrippa d'Aubigne (1550–1630)
 * François de Malherbe (1555–1628)

French-language Swiss

 * Théodore-Agrippa d'Aubigné (1552–1630)
 * Simon Goulart (1583–1628)

Germany

 * Erasmus Alberus (c. 1500–1553)
 * Johann Valentin Andreae (1586–1654)
 * Johann Beltz (1529–1584)
 * Sebastian Brant (1457 or 1458 – 1521)
 * Conrad Celtis (1459–1508)
 * Nikolaus Decius (1485 – after 1546)
 * Johann Fischart (1546 or 1547 – 1591)
 * Hans Folz (1435/1440 – 1513)
 * Sebastian Franck (1499 – 1542 or 1543)
 * Konrad Gesner (1516–1565)
 * Johann Heermann (1585–1647)
 * Nikolaus Herman (c. 1500–1561)
 * Mathias Holtzwart (c. 1540 – after 1589)
 * Anna Ovena Hoyer (1584–1655)
 * Ulrich von Hutten(1488–1523)
 * Georg List (1532–1596)
 * Ambrosius Lobwasser (1515–1585)
 * Martin Luther (1483–1546)
 * Philipp Melanchthon (1497–1560)
 * Thomas Müntzer (c. 1489–1525)
 * Philipp Nicolai (1556–1608)
 * Martin Opitz (1597–1639)
 * Jakob Regnart (between 1540 and 1545 – 1599)
 * Adam Reusner (1471/1496 – 1563/1582)
 * Bartholomäus Ringwaldt (1532 – c. 1599)
 * Hans Sachs (1494–1576)
 * Paulus Schede Melissus (1539–1602)
 * Johann Hermann Schein (1586–1630)
 * Johannes Secundus (1511–1536)
 * Friedrich Spee von Langenfeld (1591–1635)
 * Paul Speratus (1484–1581)
 * Josua Stegmann (1588–1632)
 * Georg Rodolf Weckherlin (1584–1653)
 * Michael Weiße (1588–1634)
 * Diederich von dem Werder (1584–1657)
 * Christoff Wirsung (c. 1500–1571)
 * Julius Wilhelm Zincgref (1591–1635)
 * Georgius Agricola (1554–1630)

German-language Swiss

 * Nicholas Manuel (1484–1530)

Italy

 * Benedetto Cariteo (1450–1514)
 * Teofilo Folengo (1491 – 1574)
 * Lodovico Ariosto (1474–1533), also a Latin poet
 * Torquato Tasso (1544–1595)
 * Pietro Bembo (1470–1547), Cardinal and influential critic
 * Vittoria Colonna (1492–1547)
 * Gaspara Stampa (c. 1523–1554), woman poet
 * Antonio Sebastiano Minturno (1559–1565), writer and poet

Japan

 * Arakida Moritake 荒木田守武 (1473–1549), the son of Negi Morihide, and a Shinto priest; said to have excelled in waka, renga, and in particular haikai
 * Hosokawa Fujitaka 細川藤孝, also known as Hosokawa Yūsai 細川幽斎 (1534–1610), a Sengoku period feudal warlord who was a prominent retainer of the last Ashikaga shōguns; father of Hosokawa Tadaoki, an Oda clan senior general; after the 1582 Incident at Honnō-ji, he took the Buddhist tonsure and changed his name to "Yūsai"; but he remained an active force in politics, under Shōguns Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu
 * Satomura Shokyu 里村昌休 (1510–1552), Japanese leading master of the linked verse renga after the death of Tani Sobuko in 1545
 * Sōgi 宗祇 (1421–1502), Japanese Zen monk who studied waka and renga poetry, then became a professional renga poet in his 30s
 * Tani Soyo 谷宗養 (1526–1563), renga poet; a rival of Satomura Joha; son of Tani Sobuko
 * Yamazaki Sōkan 山崎宗鑑, pen name of Shina Norishige (1465–1553), renga and haikai poet, court calligrapher for Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshihisa; became a secluded Buddhist monk following the shōgun's death in 1489

Latin

 * Battista Spagnoli (1447–1516), Italian
 * Giovanni Pontano (1429–1503), Italian
 * Michael Marullus (c. 1453–1500), Italian
 * Jacopo Sannazaro (1458–1530), Italian
 * Andrea Navagero (1483–1529), Italian
 * Girolamo Fracastoro (1483–1553), Italian
 * Marcantonio Flaminio (1498–1550), Italian
 * Marco Girolamo Vida (1485–1566), Italian
 * Conrad Celtis (1459–1508), German
 * Salmon Macrin (1490–1557), French
 * Joannes Secundus (1511–1536), Dutch
 * Lodovico Ariosto (1474–1533), Italian who also published poetry in Italian
 * Joachim Du Bellay (c. 1525–1560), Frenchman who also published poetry in French
 * Jan Kochanowski (1530–1584), Pole who also published poetry in Polish
 * Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski (1595–1640), Polish Jesuit and poet
 * Jacob Balde (1604–1668), German Jesuit and poet

Mexico

 * Ayocuan Cuetzpaltzin (mid 15th-early 16th centuries) wise man, poet, white eagle from Tecamachalco
 * Cacamatzin (1483-1520), tlatoani (ruler or lord) of Texcoco (altepetl) and poet
 * Tecayehuatzin of Huexotzinco (second half of 15th to early 16th century), poet and philosopher (Huexotzinco was a semi-independent state, alternately loyal to the Aztec Empire or to Tlaxcala.)
 * Temilotzin (end of 15th century-1525), born in Tlatelolco (altepetl) and Tlatoani of Tzilacatlan
 * Xicotencatl I (1425-1522) tlatoani of Tizatlan (Tlaxcala)

Netherlands

 * Barlaeus, also known as Kaspar van Baerle (1584–1648)
 * Suster Bertken (1426 or 1427–1514)
 * Anna Bijns (1493–1575)
 * Adriaen Valerius (1570/1575–1625)
 * Joost van den Vondel (1587–1679), Dutch writer considered the most prominent Dutch poet and playwright of the 17th century

Ottoman Empire

 * Bâkî (باقى) (1526–1600)
 * Fuzûlî (فضولی) (c. 1483–1556)
 * Hayâlî (خيالى) (c. 1500–1557)
 * Necati (died 1509)
 * Selim II (1524–1574), sultan and poet
 * Suleyman the Magnificent (ca. 1495–1566)
 * Tashcali Yahya Bey (died 1582)
 * Ruhi-i Bagdadi (died 1605)
 * Nef'i (1582–1635)
 * Seyhulislam Yahya (1552–1644)
 * Pir Sultan Abdal (c. 1480–1550)

Persian language

 * Sheikh Bahaii, Scientist, architect, philosopher, and poet (1546–1620)
 * Vahshi Bafghi

Poland

 * Biernat of Lublin (c. 1465 – after 1529)
 * Mikolaj Rej (1505–1569)
 * Jan Kochanowski (1530–1584)
 * Mikolaj September Szarzynski (c. 1550 – c. 1581)
 * Sebastian Grabowiecki (ca. 1543–1607)
 * Sebastian Fabian Klonowic (ca. 1545–1602)
 * Szymon Szymonowic (1558–1629)
 * Daniel Naborowski (1573–1640)
 * Kasper Miakskowski (1550–1622)

Portugal

 * Garcia de Resende (c. 1470–1536)
 * Gil Vicente (c. 1465 – c. 1536), poet and playwright
 * Francisco de Sá de Miranda (c. 1481–1558)
 * Bernardim Ribeiro (1482–1552)
 * Cristovao Falcao (1518 – c. 1557)
 * Luís de Camões (c. 1524–1580)
 * Diogo Bernardes (c. 1530 – c. 1605), brother of Frei Agostinho da Cruz
 * Frei Agostinho da Cruz (1540–1619), brother of Diogo Bernardes
 * Francisco Rodrigues Lobo (c. 1580–1621)
 * Antonio de Ferreira
 * Mellin de Saint Gelais (1491–1558)

Slovakia

 * Martin Rakovský (1535–1579)
 * Ján Silván (1493–1573)
 * Pavel Kyrmezer (birth year not known – 1589)
 * Vavřinec Benedikt z Nudožer (Laurentio Benedictino Nudozierino) (1555–1615)
 * Ján Filický ( c. 1585–1623)
 * Ján Bocatius (1569–1621)
 * Jakub Jakobeus (1591–1645)
 * Martin Bošňák (birth year not known – 1566)
 * Štefan Komodický (16th century)
 * Eliáš Láni (1570–1618)
 * Daniel Pribiš (1580–1645)
 * Juraj Tranovský or Tranoscius (1592–1637)

South Asia

 * Akho (1591–1659), Gujarati-language poet, Vedantist and radical
 * Bhalam (c. 1426–1500), Gujarati-language poet
 * Sant Eknath संत एकनाथ or Eknāth; the epithet "sant" संत is traditionally given to persons regarded as thoroughly saintly (1533–1599), Marathi-language poet and scholar
 * Sant Tukaram संत तुकाराम (birth-year estimates range from 1577–-1609 – died 1650), Marathi-language poet
 * Krishnadevaraya (died 1529), king of the Vijayanagara empire and Sanskrit-language poet
 * Annamacharya శ్రీ తాళ్ళపాక అన్నమాచార్య (1408–1503), mystic saint composer of the 15th century, widely regarded as the Telugu-language pada kavita pitaamaha (grand old man of simple poetry); husband of Tallapaka Tirumalamma
 * Molla, also known as "Mollamamba", both popular names of Atukuri Molla (1440–1530) Telugu-language poet who wrote Telugu Ramayan; a woman
 * Potana, born Bammera Pothana (1450–1510), Telugu-language poet best known for his translation of the Bhagavata Purana from Sanskrit; the book is popularly known as Pothana Bhagavatham
 * Habba Khatun
 * Meerabai (मीराबाई) (1498–1547), alternate spelling: Meera, Mira, Meera Bai; Hindu poet-saint, mystical poet whose compositions, extant version of which are in Gujarati and a Rajasthani dialect of Hindi, remain popular throughout India
 * Gosvāmī Tulsīdās तुलसीदास, also known as "Tulasī Dāsa" and "Tulsidas" (1532–1623) Awadhi poet and philosopher

Spain

 * Juan Boscán (c. 1490–1542)
 * Garcilaso de la Vega (1503–1536)
 * Diego Hurtado de Mendoza (1503–1575)
 * Hernando de Acuña (c. 1520–1580)
 * Baltasar del Alcázar (1590–1616)
 * Francisco de Aldana (1537–1578)
 * Gutierre de Cetina (1520 – c. 1557)
 * Cristóbal de Castillejo (c. 1490–1550)
 * Luis de León (1527–1591)
 * San Juan de la Cruz (1542–1591)
 * Alonso de Ledesma (1562–1623)
 * Lope de Vega (1562–1635), playwright and poet
 * Fernando de Herrera (1534–1597)
 * Luis Barahona de Soto (1548–1595)
 * Pedro de Espinosa (1578–1650)
 * Francisco de Rioja (1583–1659)
 * Francisco de Medrano (1570–1607)
 * Alonso de Ercilla (1533 – c. 1596)

Other

 * Jeong Cheol (1536–1593), Korean poet
 * Hwang Jin-i (1522–1565), Korean poet
 * Song Deokbong (1521-1578), Korean poet
 * Judah Leone Modena, also known as: Leon Modena or Yehudah Aryeh Mi-modena (1571–1648), a rabbi, orator, scholar, teacher and poet
 * Israel ben Moses Najara (c. 1555 – c. 1625), Hebrew poet in Palestine
 * Ali-Shir Nava'i, also known as "Nizām al-Din"; pen name "Navā'ī", meaning "the weeper" (1441 – 1501), Central Asian politician, mystic, linguist, painter, and poet of Chaghatai origin who was born and lived in Herat, in modern-day Afghanistan; his Chagatai language (Middle Turkic) poetry has led many throughout the Turkic-speaking world to consider him the founder of early Turkic literature, and the Uzbeks claim him as their national poet