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John Dryden

Type Figure Region England Time 1631–1700 Also known as Dryden

John Dryden was the foremost English poet and playwright of the Restoration, appointed Poet Laureate by Charles II in 1668, whose dramas, satires, an…

Timeline

  1. 1631–1657Cambridge · CambridgeshireDryden was born into a Puritan family, studied at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, receiving a classical literary education. He briefly held a civil post during the Civil War and Commonwealth, laying the foundation of classical rhetoric and dramatic form for his later poetic dramas.
  2. 1660–1668London · LondonAfter the Restoration Dryden quickly became a central figure in London's literary world, writing heroic dramas such as The Indian Emperor; he left London temporarily from 1665 to 1667 due to plague and fire but kept writing. Between 1661 and 1667 his plays and lyrics were widely popular at court and in the public theatres.
  3. 1668–1700London · LondonIn 1668 Dryden was appointed Poet Laureate and Royal Historiographer by Charles II, responsible for court odes and poems for public celebrations. Around 1670 he continued writing plays, translated Virgil, and established neoclassical poetic standards through critical works such as Of Dramatick Poesie, influencing the later generation of Pope.

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