Henry Reynolds (poet) facts for kids

Henry Reynolds (born 1564, died 1632) was an English teacher, poet, and writer. He lived a long time ago, in the 16th and 17th centuries. He is mostly known for two important books he wrote.

Who Was Henry Reynolds?

Henry Reynolds was born in a place called Suffolk, England. We do not know many details about his early life. He became known as a schoolmaster, which means he was a teacher. He was also a poet, writing poems, and a literary critic. A literary critic is someone who studies and writes about books and poetry.

In 1627, another famous poet named Michael Drayton dedicated one of his poems to Henry Reynolds. This shows that Henry Reynolds was respected by other writers of his time. We know that he was planning to get married in 1611. He was going to marry Elizabeth Brydges, and later, a woman who was the widow of a Mr. Evans. Mr. Evans worked as a clerk in Parliament. We do not have much more information about Henry Reynolds's life.

His Important Books

Henry Reynolds is remembered for two main books. These books show his skills as a writer and his ideas about poetry.

Aminta Englisht: A Translated Story

One of his important books was called Aminta Englisht. He published this book in 1628. It was a translation of a famous Italian play. The original play was called Aminta and was written by an Italian poet named Torquato Tasso. When someone translates a book, they change it from one language to another. So, Henry Reynolds changed Tasso's Italian play into English. This allowed more people in England to read and enjoy the story.

Mythomystes: Thinking About Poetry

His other major work was Mythomystes. This book came out in 1632, the same year he died. Mythomystes was a critical work about poetry. This means it was a book where Henry Reynolds shared his thoughts and ideas about how poetry works. He wrote about what makes good poetry and how people should understand it. This book was influenced by ideas from the early Italian Renaissance. The Renaissance was a time of great new ideas in art and learning.