Ancient Greece (c. 8th Century BC - 3rd Century AD):
* Theocritus (c. 310 - 250 BC): Considered the father of pastoral poetry. His *Idylls* set the standard for the genre.
* Moschus (c. 3rd Century BC): Wrote a pastoral elegy, *Europa*, and other works.
* Bion (c. 3rd Century BC): Known for his pastoral elegies, including *Lament for Adonis*.
* Virgil (70 - 19 BC): Though not strictly a "pastoral poet," his *Eclogues* are highly influential and helped establish the genre's conventions.
Medieval Period (c. 5th to 15th Century):
* Boccaccio (1313 - 1375): Wrote pastoral poetry in his *Decameron*.
* Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 - 1400): Incorporated pastoral elements into his works, notably *The Canterbury Tales*.
Renaissance (c. 14th to 17th Century):
* Edmund Spenser (1552 - 1599): His *The Shepheardes Calender* is a major work of Renaissance pastoral.
* Christopher Marlowe (1564 - 1593): His *The Passionate Shepherd to His Love* is a famous example of pastoral poetry.
* John Milton (1608 - 1674): While not exclusively pastoral, Milton wrote poems like *Lycidas* that were deeply influenced by the genre.
18th and 19th Centuries:
* John Clare (1793 - 1864): An English poet known for his lyrical depictions of rural life.
* William Wordsworth (1770 - 1850): Often considered a Romantic poet, Wordsworth's work had pastoral elements.
* George Crabbe (1754 - 1832): He wrote about the lives of rural people, often with a more realistic and less idealized view than traditional pastoral poets.
20th and 21st Centuries:
* Robert Frost (1874 - 1963): His poems often explored themes of nature and rural life.
* Ted Hughes (1930 - 1998): His poetry often engaged with themes of the natural world and its power.
* Seamus Heaney (1939 - 2013): His poetry was often deeply rooted in the landscape of Northern Ireland.
Important Notes:
* This is not an exhaustive list, and there are many other important pastoral poets.
* The chronological order is approximate, and there is overlap between periods.
* The genre of pastoral poetry has evolved over time, so there is no single, definitive "pastoral style."
This list should give you a good starting point for exploring the history of pastoral poetry.