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The Personal Element in Dryden's Poetry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2020

Thomas H. Fujimura*
Affiliation:
University of Hawaii, Honolulu

Abstract

Although Dryden is generally regarded as a public poet concerned with public themes, in the last fifteen years of his life he turned to more private themes to justify himself and his career. We need to be aware of the autobiographical element to appreciate such poems as the “Ode to Oldham,” which is not only about a fellow writer but also about Dryden's own achievements as a satirist. The “Ode to Mrs. Killigrew,” a Catholic poem, expresses his new awareness of the art of poesy and enacts its ritualistic drama of penance for his “sins.” The epistle “To Congreve” is a cathartic expression of Dryden's bitterness as a “cast” poet and of his hopes in a beloved protege while “Alexander's Feast,” by a poet who had just triumphed over many adversities, asserts the poet's power and greatness. These poems are more meaningful if read with awareness of them as personal revelations and affirmations of Dryden the man.

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Modern Language Association of America, 1974

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