English 3310 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Mock-Heroic, Anagram, Occasional Poetry
Document Summary
He was a poet and playwright, a well as a literary critic. Dryden was well educated, who knew greek and latin, and thus translated some important texts, such as the complete works of virgil. He was part of a period that we sometimes call the neo-classical period. Ancient texts were being re-introduced into culture and imitated. Dryden thus also used virgil as a model on ow he wanted to conduct his career. Virgil can thus be compared to dryden, and augustus can be compared to charles ii. Emperor augustus in ancient rome was a promoter of the arts, a great patron of culture, supporting the career of virgil. Dryden was working in a period when poetry was public and political. The idea that poetry was personal came from the romantic period. We see the public world as being represented. This has to do with the naval victory in the anglo-dutch war, and the great fire.
