Dryden as a Critic

Dryden as a Critic

• Neo-Classicist• French Influence• Essay Of Dramatic Poesy• Prefaces• Unsystematic• Inconsistent• Repetitive • It is scattered

Neo- Classicist

• Gave importance to classical rules

• Rules Compatibility with nature

• New interpretation of rules based on the nature of poetry

French Influence

• During the civil war between parliament and Charles I many poets left for France and later influenced by French

• To get royal favour they mixed English with French during the reign of Charles II and James II

Essay Of Dramatic Poesy

• Major Critical work of John Dryden

• It is in the form of the Dialogue

• He defends English Dramatists

• Defends tragi-comedy

• Explains Unities in favour of English

Prefaces

• Epistle Dedicatory of the Rival Ladies

- advocates the use of heroic

purposes

• Dedication to Annus Mirabilis

- advocates four-line stanza for heroic verse

Prefaces

• A Defence of an Essay of Dramatic Poesy prefixed to The Indian Emperor

• “Of Heroic Plays” prefixed to The Conquest of Granada [Part 1]

• Epilogue and The Defence of the Epilogue to The Conquest of Granada [Part II]

- defend the use of rhymed couplet in tragedy

Prefaces

• “The Apology of Heroic Poetry” prefixed to The State of Innocence eulogises Milton’s achievements in heroic poetry

• “The Grounds of Criticism in Tragedy” prefixed to Troilus and Cressida contains an exposition of Aristotle’s tragedy

• “A Discourse Concerning the Original and Progress of Satire” prefixed to the translation of The Satires of Juvenal

Prefaces

• “Dedication of the Aenies” prefixed to the translation of Virgil’s Works

• Preface to the Fables

To Be Continued…