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Andrew Marvell was an Englishman, born in Yorkshire in 1621. His father, for whom he was named, was a clergyman. Marvell (the poet) was educated at Cambridge and likely spent some time traveling in continental Europe afterwards, though his exact whereabouts and occupation during this time are not known. As a student at Cambridge, he began writing poetry – as well as anonymous satires denouncing the monarchy, Catholicism, and censorship. His political views were complex and often controversial. He did identify himself as a Protestant. At the time of his death in 1678, he was suffering from severe poverty, most of his works unpublished. A woman named Mary Palmer, likely Marvell's secretary though claiming to be his wife, had his works published three years after his death.

"The Garden" is one of Marvell's most famous poems. It describes the experience of retreating to a garden to contemplate nature and the role of the imagination. Throughout the poem, Marvell compares the world of the garden – idyllic, rich, and peaceful – to that of the outside world, fraught with men's problems and desires.