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 46
... prince's fleet : And each ambitiously would claim the ken That with first eyes did distant safety meet . The Dutch , who came like greedy hinds before To reap the harvest their ripe ears did yield , Now look like those , when rolling ...
... prince's fleet : And each ambitiously would claim the ken That with first eyes did distant safety meet . The Dutch , who came like greedy hinds before To reap the harvest their ripe ears did yield , Now look like those , when rolling ...
Page 48
... prince had severed from the rest Two giant ships , the pride of all the main ; Which , with his one , so vigorously ... prince's main - mast bore : All three now helpless by each other lie , And this offends not and those fear no ...
... prince had severed from the rest Two giant ships , the pride of all the main ; Which , with his one , so vigorously ... prince's main - mast bore : All three now helpless by each other lie , And this offends not and those fear no ...
Page 362
... prince's age oppressed . But long , long since , the times have changed their face , The people grown degenerate and base ; Not suffered now the freedom of their choice To make their magistrates , and sell their voice . Our wise ...
... prince's age oppressed . But long , long since , the times have changed their face , The people grown degenerate and base ; Not suffered now the freedom of their choice To make their magistrates , and sell their voice . Our wise ...
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