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Indeed, Herrick's deepest debt to ancient literature lies not in the
models which he directly imitated, nor in the Anacreontic tone which
with singular felicity he has often taken.

Word:

directly

Question:

What aspects of ancient literature had the most significant influence on Herrick's work, apart from the models he imitated and the Anacreontic tone he adopted?

Answer (optional):

Herrick's deepest debt to ancient literature lies in the power to describe men and things with simple sincerity, insight, and grace, as well as the ability to paint scenes and imaginations as perfect organic wholes. He also has the gift to clothe each picture in fit metrical form, giving each its own music and leaving simplicity, sanity, and beauty as the lasting impressions on readers' minds. These gifts are at once the true bequest of classicism and the reason why the study of Hellenic and Latin poetry is essential. Herrick is classical in the great and eternal sense of the phrase, even more so than he probably realized.