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 34
... lights above , For tapers made two glaring comets rise ; lights ? curtains ? Whether they unctuous exhalations are ... light did bring . Victorious York did first , with famed success , To his known valour make the Dutch give place ...
... lights above , For tapers made two glaring comets rise ; lights ? curtains ? Whether they unctuous exhalations are ... light did bring . Victorious York did first , with famed success , To his known valour make the Dutch give place ...
Page 458
... light was known , no bounds of art ; When light was there , it knew not to depart , But glaring on remoter objects played ; Not languished and insensibly decayed . Rome raised not art , but barely kept alive , And with old Greece ...
... light was known , no bounds of art ; When light was there , it knew not to depart , But glaring on remoter objects played ; Not languished and insensibly decayed . Rome raised not art , but barely kept alive , And with old Greece ...
Page 478
... light the lie ? The change of empires often he declares , Fierce tumults , hidden treasons , open wars . He first the fate of Caesar did foretell , And pitied Rome when Rome in Caesar fell . In iron clouds concealed the public light ...
... light the lie ? The change of empires often he declares , Fierce tumults , hidden treasons , open wars . He first the fate of Caesar did foretell , And pitied Rome when Rome in Caesar fell . In iron clouds concealed the public light ...
Contents
To John Hoddesdon on his Divine Epigrams I | 1 |
Astraea Redux | 9 |
Absalom and Achitophel | 177 |
Copyright | |
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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