This volume investigates the historical reception and critical interpretation of Andrew Marvell’s poetry and prose from the seventeenth century to the modern era. Robert Wilcher, a scholar specializing in seventeenth-century literature, compiles a comprehensive collection of contemporary responses, reviews, and essays. The work provides a chronological framework that tracks how Marvell’s reputation shifted from a political figure to a canonical poet, utilizing primary source documents to illustrate the evolution of critical thought.

Scholars and students of seventeenth-century literature frequently cite this volume as a foundational resource for understanding the history of Marvell’s reception. The text is noted for its academic rigor and its ability to synthesize disparate critical voices into a coherent historical narrative.