Critical Contributions of John Dryden
John Dryden Dr. Johnson called him the father of English Criticism. He was a versatile and voluminous writer who left no branch of literature untouched. He himself was a great poet and dramatist. It was Dryden who began “a regular era of criticism”. He combined the merits of both the native tradition and the classical. His formal work of criticism is ‘ Essay on Dramatic Poesy .’ Other critical observations are spread over a number of prefaces, epilogues and letters of dedication. He has commented on every aspect of creative writing – drama, epic, tragedy, comedy, tragi-comedy, satire, criticism and nature and function of poetry. Poem Paraphrasing Grammar Essay on Dramatic Poesy (1668) In his address “To the Reader” prefixed to the ‘ Essay ’, Dryden says that his aim was “to vindicate the honour of our English writers from the censure of those who unjustly prefer the French before them.” The ‘ Essay ’ is but also an attempt to evolve the principles which ought to guid...