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 200
... muses ' friend ; ° Himself a muse - in Sanhedrin's debate True to his prince , but not a slave of state : Whom David's love with honours did adorn , That from his disobedient son were torn . Jotham of piercing wit , and pregnant thought ...
... muses ' friend ; ° Himself a muse - in Sanhedrin's debate True to his prince , but not a slave of state : Whom David's love with honours did adorn , That from his disobedient son were torn . Jotham of piercing wit , and pregnant thought ...
Page 242
... muses ' feet his wreath he lays , And , where he took it up , resigns his bays . Kings make their poets whom ... muse's last retreat : I wondered at his wish , but now I find He sought for quiet , and content of mind ; Which ...
... muses ' feet his wreath he lays , And , where he took it up , resigns his bays . Kings make their poets whom ... muse's last retreat : I wondered at his wish , but now I find He sought for quiet , and content of mind ; Which ...
Page 410
... muse employ , I want a mistress , or a blooming boy . Thus I complained ; his bow the stripling bent , And chose an arrow fit for his intent . The shaft his purpose fatally pursues : ' Now , poet , there's a subject for thy muse ! ' He ...
... muse employ , I want a mistress , or a blooming boy . Thus I complained ; his bow the stripling bent , And chose an arrow fit for his intent . The shaft his purpose fatally pursues : ' Now , poet , there's a subject for thy muse ! ' He ...
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