Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France).

Events

Works published

• Cristóbal de Castillejo, Works of Castillejo Expurgated by the Inquisition, published posthumously in Madrid, Spain^[1]
• Philippe Desportes, Les premières œuvres de Philippe Desportes, which had circulated widely in manuscript form and were largely love poems (in imitation of minor Italian poets),^[2] including "Les Amours de Diane", "les Amours d’Hippolyte", "Élégies", France
• Johann Fischart (writing under the pen name "Hultrich Elloposcleron") and another author, The Flea Hunt, a burlesque; a flea complains to Jupiter about the hard treatment it receives from women; Fischart wrote the second part, in which women reply and are defended; Germany^[3]
• George Gascoigne, A Hundred Sundry Flowers, Great Britain
• Torquato Tasso, Aminta, pastoral verse drama, Italy^[4]
• Pontus de Tyard, Nouvell'Œuvres poétiques, France

Births

• December 21 – Mathurin Régnier (died 1613), French satirical poet, nephew of Philippe Desportes
• Also:
  • Thomas Heywood, born about this year (died 1641), English playwright, actor and miscellaneous author
  • Richard Johnson (died 1659), English romance writer, playwright and poet
  • Daniel Naborowski (died 1640), Polish
  • Martin Peerson born sometime from 1571 to this year (died December 1650 or January 1651), English composer, organist and virginalist writing hymns, madrigals and other sacred and secular music
  • Samuel Rowlands, born about this year (died 1630), English author of pamphlets in prose and verse

Deaths

• February – William Lauder (born 1520), Scottish cleric, playwright and poet
• July – Étienne Jodelle (born 1532), French poet and playwright
• November – Giovanni Battista Giraldi, who gave himself the nickname "Cinthio", also rendered "Cynthius", "Cintio" or, in Italian, "Cinzio" (born 1504), Italian novelist, writer, poet and playwright
• Also:
  • Brne Karnarutić (born 1515), Croatian Renaissance poet and writer
  • Andrea Rapicio (born 1533), Italian, Latin-language poet^[5]
  • Ján Silván (born 1493), Slovak