John Dryden Essay

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Prakash Dhimal Poet Study II: John Dryden John Dryden was a seventeenth century influential English poet. Born in 1631, Dryden's contributions to English literature earned him titles such as “glorious” John, and king of satire. The inventor of heroic couplet, John Dryden is said to have influence on other English poets like Alexander Pope. John Dryden's poems are more factual, romantic and emotional and are sarcastic. Use of strong imagery, satire, parrallelism, metaphor and personification are dominant elements found in his poems. Dryden design charachers, often factual-human character, to establish sarcastic or emotional tone of the poem. From Flecknoe and Shadwell, to Mr Oldham, Dryden maintains to portray atleast one human character in his poems. Sometimes sarcasm stands "conformity in full stupidity" in his peoms and sometimes emotions "begain to think and call his own." His poems are factual; dedicated to specific people known to him. These dedicated peoms can be sarcastic, usually if they contain people that Dryden wants to make fun of, like Shadwell in "Mac Flecknoe," or they could be emotional like "To The Memory of Mr. Oldham," whom he respects. Dryden also depict characters in his poems to create romantic tone. In "Hidden Flames," he portrays a woman to illustrate unrequitted love that "he denies it." Personifying tongue that does not "betray" and love that is "cruel," Dryden creates a innocense character to justify her silence. Real life character aren't however found in his romantic poems. In "Songs From Amphitryon" Dryden develop a romantic couple who "neither beleive, nor betray" each other. Dryden often uses metaphor, personification and imagery to successfully illustrate his characters in the poem. Fair "Irish love" who is "fickle and false" in "Song From Amphitryon," "flames within" which so torments" in "Hidden Flame", and "rising
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