John Dryden

John Dryden (1631-1700) was an English poet, playwright, critic, translator, and the first official Poet Laureate of England. His major works include Absalom and Achitophel, Mac Flecknoe, All for Love, Annus Mirabilis, Religio Laici, The Hind and the Panther, and influential translations of Virgil, Juvenal, and other classical authors. Dryden matters because he helped define Restoration literature, bringing balance, wit, argumentative force, and classical discipline to English verse and criticism. He moved between theatre, satire, political poetry, religious controversy, and translation with remarkable authority. His Essay of Dramatic Poesy also made him a foundational English critic. Dryden's quotes often carry the polished confidence of a writer who believed language could judge manners, politics, art, and human folly with public force. His work remains essential for understanding English literary authority after the Restoration.

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