- Light and playful tone: Cavalier poets often used humor, wit, and irony to explore serious topics.
- Sensuality and eroticism: Cavalier poets were known for their explicit and often bawdy treatment of love and sex.
- Reliance on metaphor and conceit: Cavalier poets frequently used elaborate metaphors and conceits to create vivid and surprising imagery.
- Use of colloquial language: Cavalier poets often incorporated everyday language and slang into their poetry, rejecting the more formal and elevated diction of earlier poetic traditions.
- Focus on the individual: Cavalier poets were more interested in exploring the inner lives and experiences of individuals than in addressing larger social or political issues.
- Reaction against Puritanism: Cavalier poetry can be seen as a reaction to the strict moral code of Puritanism, which was dominant in England at the time.
- Influence of French and Italian poetry: Cavalier poetry was influenced by the libertine poetry of France and Italy, particularly in its focus on love, pleasure, and the enjoyment of life.
- Lyrical quality: Cavalier poets often wrote in a lyrical style, using musical devices such as rhyme, rhythm, and assonance to create a pleasing sound.