This volume investigates the complete poetic corpus of 17th-century bishop and poet Henry King to establish a definitive, scholarly text. Margaret Crum, an expert in seventeenth-century literature, provides a rigorous editorial framework that contextualizes King's work within the broader metaphysical tradition. By synthesizing primary manuscript sources and early printed editions, the text offers a comprehensive analysis of King's stylistic evolution and thematic preoccupations. The work serves as a primary resource for understanding the intersection of religious life and secular verse in the early modern period.

Scholars and literary historians regard this edition as the definitive reference for the study of Henry King's work. The text is frequently cited for its meticulous editorial standards and the depth of its scholarly apparatus.