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 165
... sword to Canace with this message , that her crimes would instruct her how to use it . With this sword she slew herself ; but before she died , she writ the following letter to her brother Macareus , who had taken sanctuary in the ...
... sword to Canace with this message , that her crimes would instruct her how to use it . With this sword she slew herself ; but before she died , she writ the following letter to her brother Macareus , who had taken sanctuary in the ...
Page 267
... sword to be prepared ; The way lies there ; stand thou upon the guard , And look behind , while I securely go To cut an ample passage through the foe . ' Softly he spoke ; then stalking took his way With his drawn sword , where haughty ...
... sword to be prepared ; The way lies there ; stand thou upon the guard , And look behind , while I securely go To cut an ample passage through the foe . ' Softly he spoke ; then stalking took his way With his drawn sword , where haughty ...
Page 270
... sword . Then struck with deep despair That fatal sight the lover could not bear But from the covert rushed in open view And sent his voice before him as he flew , ' Me , me , employ your sword on me alone ; The crime confessed ; the ...
... sword . Then struck with deep despair That fatal sight the lover could not bear But from the covert rushed in open view And sent his voice before him as he flew , ' Me , me , employ your sword on me alone ; The crime confessed ; the ...
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