Le sette giornate, Italy Lope de Vega, Spain: La Arcadia La Dragontea'', an epic poem about Sir Francis Drake Births Death years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article: March 12 – Guillaume Colletet (died 1659), French August 7 – Georg Stiernhielm (died 1672), Swedish civil servant, linguist and poet Also – Johann George Moeresius (died 1657), Polish poet and rector Deaths Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article: January 9 – Jasper Heywood (died 1535) English Jesuit, poet and translator June 1 – Thomas Preston (born 1537), English poet and perhaps playwright, a master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge August – Alexander Montgomerie (born 1550), Scottish Catholic courtier and poet Also – Henri Estienne (born 1528), French philologist, poet and humanist See also 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 Notes 16th-century poetry Poetry