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The Poetical Works of John Dryden #1
The Poetical Works of John Dryden, Vol. 1
Excerpt from The Poetical Works of John Dryden, Vol. 1
A. Wood says, that John Dryden was a schoolmaster, and that the great Erasmus stood godfather for one of his sons. He appears to have been a puritan; in his will, he bequeaths his soul to his Creator, with this singular expression, The Holy Ghost assuring my spirit that I am the elect of God.' These puritanical principles descended to his family.
A. Wood says, that John Dryden was a schoolmaster, and that the great Erasmus stood godfather for one of his sons. He appears to have been a puritan; in his will, he bequeaths his soul to his Creator, with this singular expression, The Holy Ghost assuring my spirit that I am the elect of God.' These puritanical principles descended to his family.
- GenresPoetry
340 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1893
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47 people want to read
About the author
John Dryden
1,147 books130 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John Dryden was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who was made Poet Laureate in 1668. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden. Walter Scott called him "Glorious John."
John Dryden was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who was made Poet Laureate in 1668. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden. Walter Scott called him "Glorious John."
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 22, 2019
I feel that panegyric is the most boring literary genre, and Dryden's long-form poems in praise of British kings are no exception to this rule. His literary treatments of religious topics ("Absalom and Achitophel", "Religio laici"), though also strongly related with the political climate of his era, are a bit more interesting. At least we get some statements from somewhere halfway between commonplace and wisdom, like "[...] for it is a madness to be sober alone, while the nation continues drunk[.]" or "A man is to be cheated into passion, but to be reasoned into truth."
January 7, 2018
Night came, but without darkness or repose, (a)
A dismal picture of the gen'ral doom: (b)
Where Souls distracted when the Trumpet blows, (a)
And half unready with their bodies come. (b)
Those who have homes, when home they do repair, (c)
To a last lodging call their wand'ring friends. (d)
Their short uneasie sleeps are broke with care, (c)
To look how near their own destruction tends. (d)
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While by the motion of the flames they ghess
What streets are burning now, & what are near:
An Infant, waking, to the paps would press,
And meets, instead of milk, a falling tear.
- Iambic Pentameter
- Neoclassicism
A dismal picture of the gen'ral doom: (b)
Where Souls distracted when the Trumpet blows, (a)
And half unready with their bodies come. (b)
Those who have homes, when home they do repair, (c)
To a last lodging call their wand'ring friends. (d)
Their short uneasie sleeps are broke with care, (c)
To look how near their own destruction tends. (d)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
While by the motion of the flames they ghess
What streets are burning now, & what are near:
An Infant, waking, to the paps would press,
And meets, instead of milk, a falling tear.
- Iambic Pentameter
- Neoclassicism
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews