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The Poetical Works of John Dryden, Volume 2 With Life, Critical Dissertation, and Explanatory Notes   By: (1631-1700)

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In this volume of the Poetical Works of John Dryden, readers are treated to a comprehensive collection of the renowned poet's work, along with detailed annotations and a critical dissertation. The inclusion of a biography of Dryden adds depth and context to the poems, shedding light on the life and experiences that shaped his craft.

The explanatory notes accompanying the poems provide valuable insight into the historical and cultural context in which they were written, enhancing the reader's understanding and appreciation of Dryden's artistry. The critical dissertation serves as a thought-provoking analysis of the poet's themes, style, and influences, offering a more scholarly perspective on his work.

Overall, this volume is a rich and rewarding resource for anyone interested in the poetry of John Dryden. Whether you are a longtime admirer of his work or a newcomer to his writings, this collection is sure to captivate and inspire. Highly recommended for poetry lovers and scholars alike.

First Page:

POETICAL WORKS

OF

JOHN DRYDEN.

With Life, Critical Dissertation, and Explanatory Notes,

BY THE

REV. GEORGE GILFILLAN.

VOL. II.

M. DCCC. LV.

CRITICAL ESTIMATE

OF THE

GENIUS AND POETICAL WORKS OF JOHN DRYDEN.

In our Life of Dryden we promised to say something about the question, how far is a poet, particularly in the moral tendency and taste of his writings, to be tried and either condemned or justified by the character and spirit of his age? To a rapid consideration of this question we now proceed, before examining the constituent elements or the varied fruits of the poet's genius.

And here, unquestionably, there are extremes, which every critic should avoid. Some imagine that a writer of a former century should be tried, either by the standard which prevails in the cultured and civilised nineteenth, or by the exposition of moral principles and practice which is to be found in the Scriptures. Now, it is obviously, so far as taste is concerned, as unjust to judge a book written in the style and manner of one age by the merely arbitrary and conventional rules established in another, as to judge the dress of our ancestors by the fashions of the present day. And in respect of morality, it is as unfair to visit with the same measure of condemnation offences against decorum or decency, committed by writers living before or living after the promulgation of the Christian code, as it would be to class the Satyrs, Priapi, and Bacchantes of an antique sculptor, with their imitations, by inferior and coarser artists, in later times... Continue reading book >>


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