This volume investigates the stylistic nuances and thematic breadth of five significant poets active during the Caroline period of English literature. The editor, George Saintsbury, provides a rigorous scholarly framework that situates these poets within the broader context of seventeenth-century verse. By compiling these specific works, the text serves to preserve and analyze the technical evolution of English poetry during a volatile political and cultural era.

Scholars and literary historians frequently cite this collection as a foundational reference for the study of seventeenth-century minor poets. The text is noted for its academic density and the meticulous nature of its editorial commentary, making it a standard resource for university-level research.