John DrydenDryden's poetry is straightforward, bold, and energetic. He was in the public eye for some forty years, holding positions at court for a long period of time. He was indisputably perceived as the leading writer of his day. He excelled in all the types of writing practiced at the time. He wrote more, and in more genres than anyone. He accumulated to himself (it is a odd distinction) a huge mass of attacks, ranging from the reasoned to the scabrous. Dryden explained his attitudes and intentions in a large number of prologues, epilogues, prefaces, defences, and vindications-thereby quite casually producing the first body of what we now call 'criticism' in English. And yet his life and character remain something of a mystery. |
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Page 117
... ancient writer gives me : vivorum , ut magna admiratio , ita censura difficilis : " betwixt the extremes of admiration and malice , ' tis hard to judge uprightly of the living " . Only I think it may be permitted me to say that as it is ...
... ancient writer gives me : vivorum , ut magna admiratio , ita censura difficilis : " betwixt the extremes of admiration and malice , ' tis hard to judge uprightly of the living " . Only I think it may be permitted me to say that as it is ...
Page 153
... ancient tragedy always represents its chief person such ) as it is for an innocent man , and the suffering of ... Ancients ; so that they neither administered poetical justice ( of which Mr Rymer boasts ) so well as we ; neither ...
... ancient tragedy always represents its chief person such ) as it is for an innocent man , and the suffering of ... Ancients ; so that they neither administered poetical justice ( of which Mr Rymer boasts ) so well as we ; neither ...
Page 712
... ancient author , equal with the best , ° Relates this tale of dreams among the rest : " Two friends or brothers , with devout intent , On some far pilgrimage together went . It happened so , that when the sun was down , They just ...
... ancient author , equal with the best , ° Relates this tale of dreams among the rest : " Two friends or brothers , with devout intent , On some far pilgrimage together went . It happened so , that when the sun was down , They just ...
Contents
To John Hoddesdon on his Divine Epigrams I | 1 |
Astraea Redux | 9 |
Absalom and Achitophel | 177 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
Absalom and Achitophel Aeneas Aeneid ancient Arcite Aristotle arms bear beauty behold Ben Jonson betwixt blessed blood breast Caeneus Chaucer Cinyras courser cried crime crown death Dryden e'en earth English eyes fair fame fate father fear fight fire flames force Georgics give goddess gods grace Greek ground hand haste head heart heaven honour Iliad John Dryden Jove kind king labour leave light live lord lover Lucretius maid Metamorphoses mighty mind mortal muse nature never night numbers o'er once Ovid pain Palamon passion Pindar Pirithous plain play pleased poem poet praise Priam prince pursue queen race rage rest rhyme Roman sacred Satire of Juvenal seas Sejanus sighed sight sire skies soul stood sweet sword tears thee Theseus thou thought translation Twas verse Virgil vows wife wind words youth