1597 in poetry

• Nicholas Breton:
  • The Arbor of Amorous Devises, anthology partly by Breton, probably compiled by the printer, Richard Jones; reprints 10 poems from Brittons Bowre of Delights 1591[1]
  • Auspicante Jehova[1]
• John Dowland, The First Booke of Songes or Ayres of Fowre Partes verse and music (see also Second Booke 1600, Third and Last Booke 1603)[1]
• Michael Drayton, Englands Heroicall Epistles (expanded in 1598; reprinted in The Barrons Wars 1603)[1]
• Joseph Hall, Virgidemiarum, Sixe Bookes[1]
• Henry Lok, Ecclesiastes, Otherwise Called the Preacher[1]
• Gervase Markham, translated from a lost original work by Genevieve Petau de Maulette, Devoreux[1]
• Thomas Middleton, The Wisodome of Solomon Paraphrased[1]
• Thomas Morley, Cazonets; or, Little Short Songs to Foure Voyces, verse and music (see also Canzonets 1593)[1]
• Robert Parry, Sinetes Passion Uppon his Fortunes[1]
• Robert Tofte, Laura: The Toyes of a Traveller; or, The Feast of Fancie, contains a statement, likely untrue, that more than 30 of the poems in the book are not by Tofte[1]
• Nicholas Yonge, Musica Transalpina. Cantus, verse and music (see also Musica Transalpina 1588

Death years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:

• February 24 – Vincent Voiture (died 1648), French poet and writer
• May 31 – Jean-Louis Guez de Balzac (died 1654), French writer and poet writing verses in both French and Latin
• December 23 – Martin Opitz von Boberfeld (died 1639), German
• Also:
  • Johan van Heemskerk (died 1656), Dutch poet
  • Christopher Harvey (died 1662), English[1]
  • Claude de Malleville (died 1634), French
  • Rachel Speght (death year not known), English polemicist and poet
  • Wang Wei (died 1647), Chinese prostitute and poet

Statue of Joseph of Anchieta in Santos, Brazil

Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:

• June 6 – William Hunnis (birth year not known), English
• June 9 – Joseph of Anchieta (born 1534), Spanish Jesuit missionary, poet and playwright[2]
• Also:
  • Fernando de Herrera (born c. 1534), Spanish
  • George Turberville, also spelled "Turbervile", death year uncertain (born c. 1544), English poet and translator

• Poetry
• 16th century in poetry
• 16th century in literature
• Dutch Renaissance and Golden Age literature
• Elizabethan literature
• English Madrigal School
• French Renaissance literature
• Renaissance literature
• Spanish Renaissance literature
• University Wits