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 121
... natural in itself , or that , however natural and easy the rhyme may be , yet it is not proper for a play ... nature is still to be preferred . But you took no notice that rhyme might be made as natural as blank verse , by the ...
... natural in itself , or that , however natural and easy the rhyme may be , yet it is not proper for a play ... nature is still to be preferred . But you took no notice that rhyme might be made as natural as blank verse , by the ...
Page 125
... nature of a serious play . ' This last is indeed the representation of nature , but ' tis nature wrought up to an higher pitch . The plot , the characters , the wit , the passions , the descriptions are all exalted above the level of ...
... nature of a serious play . ' This last is indeed the representation of nature , but ' tis nature wrought up to an higher pitch . The plot , the characters , the wit , the passions , the descriptions are all exalted above the level of ...
Page 840
... nature suit . His father , when he found his labour lost , And care employed , that answered not the cost , Chose an ungrateful object to remove , And loathed to see what nature made him love ; So to his country farm the fool confined ...
... nature suit . His father , when he found his labour lost , And care employed , that answered not the cost , Chose an ungrateful object to remove , And loathed to see what nature made him love ; So to his country farm the fool confined ...
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