The Age of Dryden

The Restoration brought about an immense change in the general temper of the English people. Infidelity became fashionable. The moral ideas of Puritanism were turned into jest. With the Restoration we enter upon a period in which literature intellectual rather than imaginative. Literature of this period was influenced by France. Edmund Waller and Sir John Denham were pioneers in the classic school of poetry. They were the reformers of English versification.

Dryden's life. John Dryden was born in 1631, the death of Oliver Cromwell" and "Astrea Redux",in celebration of happy restoration of Charles Il. In 1670 he was made poet laureate. In 1681, he published his great satire in verse, "Absalom and Achitophel" He produced 5 plays — Juvenal, Persius, Vergil and a volume of Fables. He died in May, 1700.

 Dryden's Poetry: Dryden's poetry is dealt with under three heads:

( 1 ) The political satires: "Absalam and Achitophel" was written to defend King's policy against the Earl of Shaftesbury , Shaftsbury under the name or Achitophel and the Duke of Buckingham under that of Zimri. "The Medal" was also written against Shaftesbury and "Macflecknoe" is the personal attack on his former friend Thomas Shadwell

 (2) The two great doctrinal poems, 'Religious Laici" and ' 'The Hind and the Panter" are in strict sense religious, They exhibit Dryden's master in verse.

 (3) The Fables: The fine tales written by the end of his last years give him a little to rank among the best story tellers in verse. "The Palamon and Arcite", based upon the Knightes Tale of Chaucer is a comparison between method and art of the 14th century.

Dryden's poetry is the representative of the age. It is characterized by splendid intellectuality."Absalom and Achitophel" and 'Religo Laide" are Dryden's masterpieces. It was Dryden who made the classic couplet as the accepted measure of serious English poetry.

Butler: Samuel Butler (1612-1680) is the author of the famous "Hudibras". It is a satire on puritans. The machinery of the poem is fashioned upon "Don Quixote". Butler shows us two contrasted representatives of Puritanism — the Presbyterian Sir Hudibras and his attendant, Ralpho who assumes the most of virtue. It was Butler's intention to kill puritanism by ridicule. It was the favourite reading of Charles II.

The Age of Dryden

Prose and the Drama

 The Rise of Modern Prose. "The Restoration" marks the real moment of birth of our modern English prose. In the new prose, the sentences are much shorter and simpler. The parentheses and classical inversions are cleared away. The influence of Science encouraged clearness of thought and plainness of expression.

Dryden's Prose Work: Dryden's prose writings consist mainly of essays and prefaces. Dryden is not only the first great modern prose writer but also our first great modern critic. In his "Essay of Dramatic Poesy", Dryden deals with the principles and merits of three chief types of drama - the classical drama of the Greeks and Romans, the neo-classical drama of the French, and the romantic drama of the English. Dryden often writes hastily but his sagacity and penetration are remarkable. His prose style is characterized by clearness and vigour.

 Bunyan: John Bunyan was born at Elstow, Bedfordshire. His autobiography "Grace Abounding" was the work of his captivity. The first part of "The Pilgrim's Progress" belongs to a second imprisonment of six months in 1675. He died in London He was buried in the Old Dissenters' Burial Ground at Bunhill Fields. His four great works are "Grace Abounding", "The Pilgrim's Progress", "The Life and Death of Mr.Badman" and "The Holy War". He succeeded in writing a long prose allegory. The combined vividness and plainness of his writing is another remarkable feature of his work. Bunyan was not an educated man. But he had the Authorised version of the English Bible by heart. Like Milton, Bunyan was also the child of puritanism. The narrative method, allegorical characters and the dialogue of "The Pilgrim's Progress" make it a forerunner of the novel.

Other Prose Writers of the period;

John Tilloston (1630-94) — established new prose.

John Locke — Essay on the Human Understanding,  "Treatise on Thoughts on Education"

John Evelyn: Diary is a record of contemporary events.

Samuel Pepys — Diary covers a period of 10 years — from I st January, 1660 to 31 May, 1669 - important events are the Restoration, the Great Plague and the Great Fire vivid descriptions of men and manners of the day.

The Drama of the Age of Dryden: William Wycherley, William Congreve - greatest masters of artificial comedy. Rev.Jeremy Collier - Short view of the Profanes and Immortality of the English Stage. Gallantry and courage were depicted. 'Heroic Drama" was a popular form in which love, gallantry and courage were depicted. Dryden was the principal master of blank verse. "The Tyrannic Love","The Royal Martye" and "The Mourning Bride" are faithfully modeled on the regular classic model. "All for Love" is based on "Antony and Cleopatra"