The Cambridge Companion to John Dryden
The Cambridge Companion to John Dryden
John Dryden, Poet Laureate to Charles II and James II, was one of the great literary figures of the late seventeenth century. This Companion provides a fresh look at Dryden's tactics and triumphs in negotiating the extraordinary political and cultural revolutions of his time. The newly commissioned essays introduce readers to the full range of his work as a poet, as a writer of innovative plays and operas, as a purveyor of contemporary notions of empire, and most of all as a man intimate with the opportunities of aristocratic patronage as well as the emerging market for literary gossip, slander and polemic. Dryden's works are examined in the context of seventeenth-century politics, publishing and ideas of authorship. A valuable resource for students and scholars, the Companion includes a full chronology of Dryden's life and times and a detailed guide to further reading.
- Accessible account of writer of enormous range in different genres including poetry, drama and criticism
- Original contributions by a team of top scholars including Christopher Ricks, Harold Love, Ronald Paulson and John Mullan
- Will appeal to students of literature, drama, history and politics
Reviews & endorsements
'… a more formidable and important volume, at once authoritative and innovative, than its modest dress would suggest …'. The Times Literary Supplement
'The contributions in this collection are learned, generally well written and diverse and give readers the latest thinking on Dryden and his works … prove invaluable to students … This collection of seventeen essays gives readers the latest thinking on him and his works.' Contemporary Review
Product details
May 2004Paperback
9780521531443
320 pages
228 × 154 × 21 mm
0.508kg
Available
Table of Contents
- Chronology
- Part I. Pleasures of the Imagination:
- 1. Composing a literary life: introduction Steven N. Zwicker
- 2. Dryden and the theatrical imagination Stuart Sherman
- 3. Dryden and the energies of satire Ronald Paulson
- 4. Dryden and the imperial imagination Laura Brown
- 5. Dryden and the invention of Augustan culture Paul Davis
- 6. Dryden's triplets Christopher Ricks
- Part II. A Literary Life in Restoration England:
- 7. Dryden's London Harold Love
- 8. Dryden's theatre and the passions of politics Paulina Kewes
- 9. Dryden's anonymity John Mullan
- 10. Dryden and the modes of restoration sociability Katsuhiro Engetsu
- Part III:
- 11. Dryden and patronage John Barnard
- 12. Dryden and political allegiance Annabel Patterson
- 13. The piety of John Dryden John Spurr
- 14. Dryden's 'Fables' and the judgment of art Anne Cotterill
- 15. Dryden and the problem of literary modernity: epilogue Steven N. Zwicker.
