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Informationen zum Autor John Dryden was a prominent English poet, playwright, critic, and translator who played a pivotal role in shaping English literature during the Restoration period. John Dryden was born into a Puritan family in North amptonshire England. Dryden showed early promise in literature and languages, excelling in Latin and Greek studies. Dryden's literary career began in earnest during the tumultuous years of the English Civil War and the Interregnum. He initially gained recognition for his poetry, which included elegies, odes, and satires. His early works often reflected his political views and engaged with contemporary issues. Role in Restoration Literature, With the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Dryden's fortunes changed.Dryden's impact on English drama was profound. He wrote several plays, including heroic tragedies, comedies, and adaptations of classical works. His most famous plays include ""All for Love"" (a tragedy based on Antony and Cleopatra), ""The Indian Emperor,"" and ""The Spanish Friar."" His plays often adhered to neoclassical principles, emphasizing unity of action, decorum, and moral theme. poetic Works . His critical essays, such as ""An Essay of Dramatic Poesy,"" ""Discourse Concerning the Original and Progress of Satire,"" and ""Preface to Fables, Ancient and Modern,"" were instrumental in defining literary norms and theories of his time. His translations included works from Latin, Greek, and French literature, bringing classic texts to a wider English-speaking audience. Legacy, John Dryden's legacy is multifaceted and enduring. He is regarded as one of the greatest English writers of the Restoration period, known for his contributions to drama, poetry, criticism, and translation. His influence extended well beyond his lifetime, shaping subsequent generations of writers and critics. Dryden's works continue to be studied for their literary merit, historical context, and insight into the cultural and political landscape of 17th-century England. Klappentext A new and comprehensive selection of Dryden's poetry, revealing him as a master of theatricality, ventriloquism, and unmistakable originality. In his lifetime, John Dryden gained fame at the cost first of gossip and scandal and then of suspicion and scorn. He wrote to order, currying favor with the Crown and repeatedly savaging its enemies. Yet the finest works of his political and spiritual imagination- "Absalom and Achitophel" and "The Hind and the Panther"-develop the themes of envy, ambition, and misdeed in ways that far transcend their era. During the Glorious Revolution, Dryden fell from patronage and favor: he then transformed himself into perhaps the greatest of English translators, a superb interpreter of Virgil and Horace, Juvenal and Persius, Boccaccio and Chaucer. This edition contains a preface and annotations accompanying each poem, modernized spelling and punctuation, and an informative introduction and chronology. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. Zusammenfassung A new and comprehensive selection of Dryden's poetry, revealing him as a master of theatricality, ventriloquism, and unmistakable originality. In his lifetime, John Dryden gained fame at the cost first of gossip and scandal and then of suspicion and scorn. He wrote to order, currying favor with the Crown and repeatedly savaging its enemies. Yet the finest works of his political and spiritual imagination- "Absalom and Achitophel" and "The Hin...