16th century in poetry

Births and deaths

England

• John Skelton (c. 1460–1529)
• George Gascoigne (1535–1578)
• Sir Walter Raleigh (1552–1618)
• Edmund Spenser (1552–1599)
• Sir Philip Sidney (1554–1586)
• Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593)
• William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
• John Donne (c. 1572–1631)
• Ben Jonson (c. 1572–1637)
• Robert Herrick (1591–1674)
• George Herbert (1593–1633)
• Young William (c. 1395-1433)

France

• Jean Molinet (1435–1507), French poet, chronicler, and composer
• Olivier de la Marche (1426–1501), French poet and author
• Clément Marot (1496–1544)
• Marguerite de Navarre (1492–1549)
• Bonaventure des Périers (c. 1501 – 1544)
• Louise Labe (1526–1566)
• Maurice Sceve (1511–1564)
• Pierre de Ronsard (1524–1585)
• Joachim du Bellay (1525–1560)
• Jean de Sponde (1557–1595)
• Jean de la Ceppede (1550–1622)
• Agrippa d'Aubigne (1550–1630)
• François de Malherbe (1555–1628)

French-language Swiss

• Théodore-Agrippa d'Aubigné (1552–1630)
• Simon Goulart (1583–1628)

Germany

• Erasmus Alberus (c. 1500–1553)
• Johann Valentin Andreae (1586–1654)
• Johann Beltz (1529–1584)
• Sebastian Brant (1457 or 1458 – 1521)
• Conrad Celtis (1459–1508)
• Nikolaus Decius (1485 – after 1546)
• Johann Fischart (1546 or 1547 – 1591)
• Hans Folz (1435/1440 – 1513)
• Sebastian Franck (1499 – 1542 or 1543)
• Konrad Gesner (1516–1565)
• Johann Heermann (1585–1647)
• Nikolaus Herman (c. 1500–1561)
• Mathias Holtzwart (c. 1540 – after 1589)
• Anna Ovena Hoyer (1584–1655)
• Ulrich von Hutten(1488–1523)
• Georg List (1532–1596)
• Ambrosius Lobwasser (1515–1585)
• Martin Luther (1483–1546)
• Philipp Melanchthon (1497–1560)
• Thomas Müntzer (c. 1489–1525)
• Philipp Nicolai (1556–1608)
• Martin Opitz (1597–1639)
• Jakob Regnart (between 1540 and 1545 – 1599)
• Adam Reusner (1471/1496 – 1563/1582)
• Bartholomäus Ringwaldt (1532 – c. 1599)
• Hans Sachs (1494–1576)
• Paulus Schede Melissus (1539–1602)
• Johann Hermann Schein (1586–1630)
• Johannes Secundus (1511–1536)
• Friedrich Spee von Langenfeld (1591–1635)
• Paul Speratus (1484–1581)
• Josua Stegmann (1588–1632)
• Georg Rodolf Weckherlin (1584–1653)
• Michael Weiße (1588–1634)
• Diederich von dem Werder (1584–1657)
• Christoff Wirsung (c. 1500–1571)
• Julius Wilhelm Zincgref (1591–1635)
• Georgius Agricola (1554–1630)

German-language Swiss

• Nicholas Manuel (1484–1530)

Italy

• Benedetto Cariteo (1450–1514)
• Teofilo Folengo (1491 – 1574)
• Lodovico Ariosto (1474–1533), also a Latin poet
• Torquato Tasso (1544–1595)
• Pietro Bembo (1470–1547), Cardinal and influential critic
• Vittoria Colonna (1492–1547)
• Gaspara Stampa (c. 1523–1554), woman poet
• Antonio Sebastiano Minturno (1559–1565), writer and poet

Japan

• Arakida Moritake 荒木田守武 (1473–1549), the son of Negi Morihide, and a Shinto priest; said to have excelled in waka, renga, and in particular haikai
• Hosokawa Fujitaka 細川藤孝, also known as Hosokawa Yūsai 細川幽斎 (1534–1610), a Sengoku period feudal warlord who was a prominent retainer of the last Ashikaga shōguns; father of Hosokawa Tadaoki, an Oda clan senior general; after the 1582 Incident at Honnō-ji, he took the Buddhist tonsure and changed his name to "Yūsai"; but he remained an active force in politics, under Shōguns Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu
• Satomura Shokyu 里村昌休 (1510–1552), Japanese leading master of the linked verse renga after the death of Tani Sobuko in 1545
• Sōgi 宗祇 (1421–1502), Japanese Zen monk who studied waka and renga poetry, then became a professional renga poet in his 30s
• Tani Soyo 谷宗養 (1526–1563), renga poet; a rival of Satomura Joha; son of Tani Sobuko
• Yamazaki Sōkan 山崎宗鑑, pen name of Shina Norishige (1465–1553), renga and haikai poet, court calligrapher for Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshihisa; became a secluded Buddhist monk following the shōgun's death in 1489

Latin

• Battista Spagnoli (1447–1516), Italian
• Giovanni Pontano (1429–1503), Italian
• Michael Marullus (c. 1453–1500), Italian
• Jacopo Sannazaro (1458–1530), Italian
• Andrea Navagero (1483–1529), Italian
• Girolamo Fracastoro (1483–1553), Italian
• Marcantonio Flaminio (1498–1550), Italian
• Marco Girolamo Vida (1485–1566), Italian
• Conrad Celtis (1459–1508), German
• Salmon Macrin (1490–1557), French
• Joannes Secundus (1511–1536), Dutch
• Lodovico Ariosto (1474–1533), Italian who also published poetry in Italian
• Joachim Du Bellay (c. 1525–1560), Frenchman who also published poetry in French
• Jan Kochanowski (1530–1584), Pole who also published poetry in Polish
• Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski (1595–1640), Polish Jesuit and poet
• Jacob Balde (1604–1668), German Jesuit and poet

Mexico

• Ayocuan Cuetzpaltzin (mid 15th-early 16th centuries) wise man, poet, white eagle from Tecamachalco
• Cacamatzin (1483-1520), tlatoani (ruler or lord) of Texcoco (altepetl) and poet
• Tecayehuatzin of Huexotzinco (second half of 15th to early 16th century), poet and philosopher (Huexotzinco was a semi-independent state, alternately loyal to the Aztec Empire or to Tlaxcala.)
• Temilotzin (end of 15th century-1525), born in Tlatelolco (altepetl) and Tlatoani of Tzilacatlan
• Xicotencatl I (1425-1522) tlatoani of Tizatlan (Tlaxcala)

Netherlands

• Barlaeus, also known as Kaspar van Baerle (1584–1648)
• Suster Bertken (1426 or 1427–1514)
• Anna Bijns (1493–1575)
• Adriaen Valerius (1570/1575–1625)
• Joost van den Vondel (1587–1679), Dutch writer considered the most prominent Dutch poet and playwright of the 17th century

Ottoman Empire

• Bâkî (باقى) (1526–1600)
• Fuzûlî (فضولی) (c. 1483–1556)
• Hayâlî (خيالى) (c. 1500–1557)
• Necati (died 1509)
• Selim II (1524–1574), sultan and poet
• Suleyman the Magnificent (ca. 1495–1566)
• Tashcali Yahya Bey (died 1582)
• Ruhi-i Bagdadi (died 1605)
• Nef'i (1582–1635)
• Seyhulislam Yahya (1552–1644)
• Pir Sultan Abdal (c. 1480–1550)

Persian language

• Sheikh Bahaii, Scientist, architect, philosopher, and poet (1546–1620)
• Vahshi Bafghi

Poland

• Biernat of Lublin (c. 1465 – after 1529)
• Mikolaj Rej (1505–1569)
• Jan Kochanowski (1530–1584)
• Mikolaj September Szarzynski (c. 1550 – c. 1581)
• Sebastian Grabowiecki (ca. 1543–1607)
• Sebastian Fabian Klonowic (ca. 1545–1602)
• Szymon Szymonowic (1558–1629)
• Daniel Naborowski (1573–1640)
• Kasper Miakskowski (1550–1622)

Portugal

• Garcia de Resende (c. 1470–1536)
• Gil Vicente (c. 1465 – c. 1536), poet and playwright
• Francisco de Sá de Miranda (c. 1481–1558)
• Bernardim Ribeiro (1482–1552)
• Cristovao Falcao (1518 – c. 1557)
• Luís de Camões (c. 1524–1580)
• Diogo Bernardes (c. 1530 – c. 1605), brother of Frei Agostinho da Cruz
• Frei Agostinho da Cruz (1540–1619), brother of Diogo Bernardes
• Francisco Rodrigues Lobo (c. 1580–1621)
• Antonio de Ferreira
• Mellin de Saint Gelais (1491–1558)

Slovakia

• Martin Rakovský (1535–1579)
• Ján Silván (1493–1573)
• Pavel Kyrmezer (birth year not known – 1589)
• Vavřinec Benedikt z Nudožer (Laurentio Benedictino Nudozierino) (1555–1615)
• Ján Filický ( c. 1585–1623)
• Ján Bocatius (1569–1621)
• Jakub Jakobeus (1591–1645)
• Martin Bošňák (birth year not known – 1566)
• Štefan Komodický (16th century)
• Eliáš Láni (1570–1618)
• Daniel Pribiš (1580–1645)
• Juraj Tranovský or Tranoscius (1592–1637)

South Asia

• Akho (1591–1659), Gujarati-language poet, Vedantist and radical
• Bhalam (c. 1426–1500), Gujarati-language poet
• Sant Eknath संत एकनाथ or Eknāth; the epithet "sant" संत is traditionally given to persons regarded as thoroughly saintly (1533–1599), Marathi-language poet and scholar
• Sant Tukaram संत तुकाराम (birth-year estimates range from 1577–-1609 – died 1650), Marathi-language poet
• Krishnadevaraya (died 1529), king of the Vijayanagara Empire and Sanskrit-language poet
• Annamacharya శ్రీ తాళ్ళపాక అన్నమాచార్య (1408–1503), mystic saint composer of the 15th century, widely regarded as the Telugu-language pada kavita pitaamaha (grand old man of simple poetry); husband of Tallapaka Tirumalamma
• Molla, also known as "Mollamamba", both popular names of Atukuri Molla (1440–1530) Telugu-language poet who wrote Telugu Ramayan; a woman
• Potana, born Bammera Pothana (1450–1510), Telugu-language poet best known for his translation of the Bhagavata Purana from Sanskrit; the book is popularly known as Pothana Bhagavatham
• Habba Khatun
• Meerabai (मीराबाई) (1498–1547), alternate spelling: Meera, Mira, Meera Bai; Hindu poet-saint, mystical poet whose compositions, extant version of which are in Gujarati and a Rajasthani dialect of Hindi, remain popular throughout India
• Gosvāmī Tulsīdās तुलसीदास, also known as "Tulasī Dāsa" and "Tulsidas" (1532–1623) Awadhi poet and philosopher

Spain

• Juan Boscán (c. 1490–1542)
• Garcilaso de la Vega (1503–1536)
• Diego Hurtado de Mendoza (1503–1575)
• Hernando de Acuña (c. 1520–1580)
• Baltasar del Alcázar (1590–1616)
• Francisco de Aldana (1537–1578)
• Gutierre de Cetina (1520 – c. 1557)
• Cristóbal de Castillejo (c. 1490–1550)
• Luis de León (1527–1591)
• San Juan de la Cruz (1542–1591)
• Alonso de Ledesma (1562–1623)
• Lope de Vega (1562–1635), playwright and poet
• Fernando de Herrera (1534–1597)
• Luis Barahona de Soto (1548–1595)
• Pedro de Espinosa (1578–1650)
• Francisco de Rioja (1583–1659)
• Francisco de Medrano (1570–1607)
• Alonso de Ercilla (1533 – c. 1596)

Other

• Chŏng Ch'ŏl (1536–1593), Korean poet
• Hwang Jin-i (1522–1565), Korean poet
• Song Tŏkpong (1521-1578), Korean poet
• Judah Leone Modena, also known as: Leon Modena or Yehudah Aryeh Mi-modena (1571–1648), a rabbi, orator, scholar, teacher and poet
• Israel ben Moses Najara (c. 1555 – c. 1625), Hebrew poet in Palestine
• Ali-Shir Nava'i, also known as "Nizām al-Din"; pen name "Navā'ī" Persian: نوایی, meaning "the weeper" (1441 – 1501), Central Asian politician, mystic, linguist, painter, and poet of Chaghatai origin who was born and lived in Herat, in modern-day Afghanistan; his Chagatai language (Middle Turkic) poetry has led many throughout the Turkic-speaking world to consider him the founder of early Turkic literature, and the Uzbeks claim him as their national poet

Decades and years