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 343
... wife In all this town ? Suppose her free from strife , Rich , fair , and fruitful , of unblemished life ; Chaste as the Sabines , whose prevailing charms , Dismissed their husbands ' and their brothers ' arms ; Grant her , besides , of ...
... wife In all this town ? Suppose her free from strife , Rich , fair , and fruitful , of unblemished life ; Chaste as the Sabines , whose prevailing charms , Dismissed their husbands ' and their brothers ' arms ; Grant her , besides , of ...
Page 810
... wife . ' ' My love ! nay rather my damnation thou , ' Said he : ' nor am I bound to keep my vow ; The fiend thy sire has sent thee from below , Else how couldst thou my secret sorrows know ? Avaunt , old witch , for I renounce thy bed ...
... wife . ' ' My love ! nay rather my damnation thou , ' Said he : ' nor am I bound to keep my vow ; The fiend thy sire has sent thee from below , Else how couldst thou my secret sorrows know ? Avaunt , old witch , for I renounce thy bed ...
Page 811
... wife , let reason's rule persuade : Name but my fault , amends shall soon be made . ' ' Amends ! nay that's impossible , ' said he , ' What change of age or ugliness can be ? Or could Medea's magic mend thy face , Thou art descended ...
... wife , let reason's rule persuade : Name but my fault , amends shall soon be made . ' ' Amends ! nay that's impossible , ' said he , ' What change of age or ugliness can be ? Or could Medea's magic mend thy face , Thou art descended ...
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