John Dryden (19 August, 1631 – 12 May, 1700) was an English playwright, literary critic and poet. Dryden was England’s first poet laureate and was also historiographer royal.
Walter Scott called Dryden “Glorious John”
A period in which Dryden dominated the literary life was called Age of Dryden
Dryden was the oldest of 14 children and a second cousin once removed of Jonathan Swift
During his time as a playwright, Dryden maintained that he was never good enough for his audience.
Dryden was expelled from the Royal Society for non-payment of his dues.
Of Dramatick Poesie (1668) is considered Dryden’s best unsystematic prefaces and essays. Her wrote that work in Wiltshire when London was suffering the Great Plague.
Dryden had a long standing conflict with John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester. In 1679 Rochester hired thugs to attack Dryden in Convent Garden near his home.
Dryden was also known for his satiric verse.
Dryden is believed to be the first person to state that English sentences should not end in a preposition.
Dryden was buried in St. Anne’s Cemetery in Soho, however 10 days after his burial he was exhumed and reburied in Westminster Abbey.
Zohar – Man of la Book
Man of la Book
A father, husband, avid reader, blogger, software engineer & wood worker who is known the world over as a man of many interests and to his wife as “an idiot”.