Robert Gould

Robert Gould (1660? – 1708/1709) was a significant voice in Restoration poetry in England. Born into the lower classes and orphaned at thirteen, Gould entered domestic service and eventually found employment with Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset. Under Dorset's patronage, Gould had access to books and possibly learned to read and write. He started his poetic career by writing odes to peers and ladies, which were stylized and idealistic. In the seventeenth century, writers of odes often received remuneration for their work. Gould's poetry reflects the cultural and social milieu of the Restoration period in England.