Find out more about the greatest 17th Century Writers, including Voltaire, James VI and I, John Milton, Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope

17th Century Writers

17th Century Writers
BritishPoetsNovelists
Find out more about the greatest 17th Century Writers, including Voltaire, John Milton, Jonathan Swift, Daniel Defoe and Alexander Pope.
VoltaireVoltaire
21 November 1694, French
Writer
John MiltonJohn Milton
09 December 1608, British
Poet, Polemicist, and Civil Servant for the

Daniel DefoeDaniel Defoe
13 September 1660, British
Trader

Jonathan SwiftJonathan Swift
30 November 1667, Irish
Author and Satirist

Alexander PopeAlexander Pope
21 May 1688, British
 

John DrydenJohn Dryden
09 August 1631, British
poet
John BunyanJohn Bunyan
28 November 1628, British
Writer, Preacher

Cyrano de BergeracCyrano de Bergerac
06 March 1619, French
Dramatist and Playwright

Charles PerraultCharles Perrault
12 January 1628, French
Author
TukaramTukaram
1608 AD, Indian
Saint, Poet

Aphra BehnAphra Behn
10 July 1640, British
Playwright
Joseph AddisonJoseph Addison
01 May 1672, British
Essayist & Poet

Abdul Rahim Khan-I-KhanaAbdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana
17 December 1556, Indian
Poet

Andrew MarvellAndrew Marvell
31 March 1621, British
Poet

Alphonsus LiguoriAlphonsus Liguori
27 September 1696, Italian
Philisopher, Spiritual Writer, Theologian

Anne BradstreetAnne Bradstreet
20 March 1612, British
Poet
Emilia LanierEmilia Lanier
31 December 1569, British
Poet

John GayJohn Gay
30 June 1685, British
Dramatist & Poet

Angelus SilesiusAngelus Silesius
25 December 1624, German
Priest

BashoBasho
1644 AD, Japanese
Poet
Abraham CowleyAbraham Cowley
1618 AD, British
Poet

Edward YoungEdward Young
03 July 1683, British
Poet
Giambattista della PortaGiambattista della Porta
01 November 1535, Italian
Scholar, Polymath

MoliereMoliere
15 January 1622, French
Playwright, Actor and Stage Manager

Juana Inés de la CruzJuana Inés de la Cruz
12 November 1651, Mexican
Poet, Nun, Writer, Mathematician, Philosopher,
Charles AtlasCharles Atlas
30 October 1893, Italian, American
Bodybuilder

Lady Mary Wortley MontaguLady Mary Wortley Montagu
15 May 1689
Explorer, Poet, Writer, Playwright
Samarth RamdasSamarth Ramdas
1608 AD, Indian
Poet

John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of RochesterJohn Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester
01 April 1647
Poet, Writer, Playwright

Jean de La FontaineJean de La Fontaine
08 July 1621, French
Writer, Poet, Lawyer
Jean RacineJean Racine
22 December 1639, French
Dramatist

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Samuel RichardsonSamuel Richardson
19 August 1689, British
Writer, Novelist
Isaac WattsIsaac Watts
17 July 1674, British
Theologian

Thomas BrowneThomas Browne
19 October 1605, British
Author

John Amos ComeniusJohn Amos Comenius
28 March 1592, Czech
Writer, Linguist, Presbyter, Theologian,

William CongreveWilliam Congreve
24 January 1670, British
Playwright, Poet, Writer, Translator
Shah Abdul Latif BhittaiShah Abdul Latif Bhittai
18 November 1690, Pakistani
poet
Francesco RediFrancesco Redi
18 February 1626, Italian
Physician, Naturalist, Poet, Writer, Painter,

John EvelynJohn Evelyn
31 October 1620, British
Writer

Izaak WaltonIzaak Walton
09 August 1593, British
Writer

George Villiers, 2nd Duke of BuckinghamGeorge Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
30 January 1628, British
Politician
James Graham, 1st Marquess of MontroseJames Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
25 October 1612, Scottish
Poet

Nicolas MalebrancheNicolas Malebranche
06 August 1638, French
Philosopher, Writer, Theologian

Jacques-Bénigne BossuetJacques-Bénigne Bossuet
27 September 1627, French
Priest, Historian, Theologian, Writer, Cleric,

Thomas NasheThomas Nashe
31 October 1567, British
Playwright

Richard BaxterRichard Baxter
12 November 1615, British
Poet
Richard HakluytRichard Hakluyt
1553 AD, British
Writer

John LylyJohn Lyly
1553 AD, British
Writer
Jeanne GuyonJeanne Guyon
13 April 1648, French
Mystic

John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and NormanbyJohn Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby
08 September 1647, British
Former Lord Privy Seal

Algernon SidneyAlgernon Sidney
15 January 1623, British
Diplomat, Politician, Writer
François FénelonFrançois Fénelon
06 August 1651, French
Theologian

John VanbrughJohn Vanbrugh
24 January 1664, British
Architect
Pierre BaylePierre Bayle
18 November 1647, French
Philosopher, Writer, University teacher,

Edmond HoyleEdmond Hoyle
1672 AD, British
Writer

John AubreyJohn Aubrey
12 March 1626, British
Antiquary

Henry VaughanHenry Vaughan
17 April 1621, Welsh
Physician, Economist, Poet, Writer

Edward WinslowEdward Winslow
18 October 1595, British
Author
Madame de La FayetteMadame de La Fayette
18 March 1634, French
Writer, Salon-holder, Novelist, Screenwriter,

Colley CibberColley Cibber
06 November 1671
Actor, Playwright, Poet, Writer

Mary SidneyMary Sidney
27 October 1561, British
Countess

Yamamoto TsunetomoYamamoto Tsunetomo
11 June 1659, Japanese
Philosopher, Writer
Rahman BabaRahman Baba
1632 AD, Pakistani
poet, writer

Joseph Justus ScaligerJoseph Justus Scaliger
05 August 1540, French
Scholar
Ludvig HolbergLudvig Holberg
03 December 1684, Danish, Norwegian
Writer

Charles de Valois, Duke of AngoulêmeCharles de Valois, Duke of Angoulême
28 April 1573, French
Nobleman

Jean NicotJean Nicot
1530 AD, French
Diplomat and scholar
Eliza HaywoodEliza Haywood
1693 AD, British
British author

Ivan GundulićIvan Gundulić
08 January 1589, Croatian
Poet
John GerardJohn Gerard
1545 AD, British
Botanist

Jeremy TaylorJeremy Taylor
15 August 1613, British
Author

Nicolas Boileau-DespréauxNicolas Boileau-Despréaux
01 November 1636, French
Poet
Pierre de MarivauxPierre de Marivaux
04 February 1688, French
Playwright, Writer, Journalist, Novelist

Chikamatsu MonzaemonChikamatsu Monzaemon
1653 AD, Japanese
writer, playwright
Felipe Guaman Poma de AyalaFelipe Guaman Poma de Ayala
1535 AD, Peruvian
Chronicler

Thomas TraherneThomas Traherne
10 October 1636, British
Poet

Pu SonglingPu Songling
05 June 1640, Chinese
Writer

Mary AstellMary Astell
12 November 1666, British
Writer, Philosopher, Feminist
Bernard Le Bovier de FontenelleBernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle
11 February 1657, French
Philosopher, Poet, Writer, Playwright, Satirist,
William DavenantWilliam Davenant
03 March 1606, British
playwright, poet, writer

Raimondo MontecuccoliRaimondo Montecuccoli
21 February 1609, Italian
Soldier

Ihara SaikakuIhara Saikaku
1642 AD, Japanese
poet, novelist, writer

William WycherleyWilliam Wycherley
08 April 1641, British
Playwright
Francis BeaumontFrancis Beaumont
1584 AD, British
Dramatist

Madeleine de ScudéryMadeleine de Scudéry
15 November 1607, French
Writer

William Alexander, 1st Earl of StirlingWilliam Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling
1567 AD, Scottish
Courtier

Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of DorsetThomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset
1536 AD, British
Poet

Ephraim ChambersEphraim Chambers
1680 AD, British
Encyclopaedist
Constantijn HuygensConstantijn Huygens
04 September 1596, Netherlands Antilles
Poet

Samuel PurchasSamuel Purchas
1577 AD, British
Author
Joost van den VondelJoost van den Vondel
17 November 1587, Dutch
Poet, Playwright, Writer

Ralph FitchRalph Fitch
1550 AD, British
Explorer
Thomas CarewThomas Carew
1595 AD, British
Poet
Wilhelm SchickardWilhelm Schickard
22 April 1592, German
Professor