John Dryden and his role in literature...
# In London, he spent life as man of letters (Scholar) .
# For 40 yrs., He continued to produce abundance of literature i.e. poetly, prose, play etc.
# fault : His behaviour of changing views according to time.
- Earlier, he used to write about Oliver Cromwell (pre- restoration 1659, about dead Oliver), but after restoration, he attached himself to the fortunes of Charles II & Church of England in order to get rewards and pensions.
# For years, he remained as most considerable literary figure on land.
# On accession of James (1685), Dryden changed his faith & after after revolution (1688), Start
following Catholism.
# As a result, He lost his post 'Poet Laureate' + 'Historigrapher Royal', and Shadwell ( another poet) become Poet Laureate.
# In last years, given finest translations +
narrative poems.
- In 1664, Pepys records in his diary that he met "My Dryden, the poet"
Dryden written a series of heroic stanzas on death of Oliver Cromwell (37 - Quatraine)
Another work:
In 1660, "Astroea Redux"
(heroic couplets) in celebration of Charles I
"Annus Mirabilies" (1667) about
Great fire and war
Plays-
political famous "Absalom and Achitohel" - 1690
(Named Shadwell as Og) - (Satirical allegory).
•Dryden himself say" It is not bloody, but is ridiculous enough."
That's main part was composed by Nahum
Tale - Satellite of Dryden
* Political Poem - "The Medal" answer to Shadwell's "Mac Flecknoe".
* "Religio Laici" - (1682) - shows his support to English Church
* "The Hind and the Panther" (1687) - on accession of James (long poem)
* lyrical poetry "Alexander's Feart"
- Irama - give us historical summary of popular fancy.
Ist - Comedy = "The Wild Gallant" (1663) - a very modest success.
'humous' of Jonson.
Tragedies - A) Heroic play.
become prominent after restoration.
B) "The Rival Ladies"
in 1663 hybrid between
Comic + heroic species of play.
C)"The Indian Emperor",
D) "Tyrannick Love",
E)"The Conquest of Gramada", F)"Aurengzebe "
6) Blank -verse tragedies -
"All for love or The World well host" is dramatic masterpiece
* For subject, he chose Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatre"
Prose : Not of any great length.But two have length, "Essay of dramatick Poesie"
Fact:
He used to write in free style but there are slips of grammar.
His subject was literary criticism.
"Essay of Dramatick Poesie" is longest and major piece of literary criticism in which there is a discussion going on within 4 characters, one of them is Dryden himself. Topic of the discussion is questions about rhymes and blank verse in drama. In it, he made a comparison between French and English drama, including observations of classical unities .
