ANACREON (572?-488? B.C.), Greek Poet

Anacreon was a prominent figure in ancient Greece, first in Samos, then in Athens. Little of his love poetry has survived, but it seems to have dealt mainly with boys. One fragment, which survived only because it was used in the Middle Ages to illustrate points of Greek grammar, contains the lines:

I love Cleobulus

I dote Cleobulus

I gaze at Cleobulus

The eighteenth century, reports historian Noel I. Garde, saw great interest in English imitations of Anacreon. One reason was the popular song, "Anacreon in Heaven," which later supplied the tune for the American national anthem.