Essay Of Dramatick Poesie
By John Dryden
1889
First Published
3.12
Average Rating
168
Number of Pages
An Essay of Dramatick Poesie is a critical work by John Dryden, one of the most important literary figures of the Restoration period in England. The book, published in 1668, is a defense of English drama against the French tradition, which Dryden believed was too rigid and formal. In the essay, Dryden discusses the nature of drama, the role of the playwright, and the various genres of drama, including tragedy, comedy, and tragicomedy. He also compares English drama with that of the ancient Greeks and Romans, arguing that the English have their own unique style and should not simply copy the classics. The book is written in the form of a dialogue between four characters, each representing a different viewpoint on the subject. It is considered a seminal work of literary criticism and an important contribution to the development of English drama.If your quarrel (said Eugenius) to those who now write, be grounded onely upon your reverence to Antiquity, there is no man more ready to adore those great Greeks and Romans than I but on the other side, I cannot think so contemptibly of the Age I live in, or so dishonourably of my own Countrey, as not to judge we equal the Ancients in most kinds of Poesie.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
Avg Rating
3.12
Number of Ratings
74
5 STARS
9%
4 STARS
20%
3 STARS
46%
2 STARS
22%
1 STARS
3%
goodreads
Author
John Dryden
Author · 24 books
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information. John Dryden (19 August [O.S. 9 August] 1631 – 12 May [O.S. 1 May] 1700) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who was made Poet Laureate in 1668. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden. Walter Scott called him "Glorious John."
