John Dryden

Birth: 1631-08-09 , Aldwincle

Death: 1700-05-01 , Londres

John Dryden (1631-1700) was an English poet, playwright, and literary critic. A dominant figure in the literary life of Restoration England, he was appointed the first Poet Laureate in 1668. His work spans a wide range of genres, including satire, religious poetry, plays, and translations. Dryden is known for his mastery of the heroic couplet and his influence on English poetry and drama. He became a master of the English language, shaping its development through his clear and powerful prose and verse. His work often reflects the political and religious turmoil of his time.

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Poems List

War seldom enters but where wealth allures.

Can flowers but droop in absence of the sun, Which waked their sweets?

’Tis sufficient to say, according to the proverb, that here is God’s plenty.

Cousin Swift, you will never be a poet.

He needed not the spectacles of books to read Nature: he looked inwards, and found her there.

The famous rules, which the French call Des Trots Onitez, or, the Three Unities, which ought to be observed in every regular play; namely, of Time, Place, and Action.

Can draw you to her with a single hair.

Arms, and the man I sing.

She knows her man, and when you rant and swear,

But what has been, has been, and I have had my hour.

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John Dryden was born on August 9, 1631, in Aldwincle, Northamptonshire. Educated at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, he became involved with the London literary scene in the mid-1650s. His career was marked by a remarkable ability to adapt to political changes, which earned him patronage and official positions. He became one of the most influential writers of his time, known for his incisive satires such as 'Mac Flecknoe' and his adaptations of classics. His work as a translator of Virgil and Ovid was also highly acclaimed. Dryden died on May 12, 1700, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. His work continues to be studied and appreciated for its poetic beauty, wit, and historical insight.