Dryden was born in the village rectory of Aldwincle near Thrapston in Northamptonshire, where his maternal grandfather was the rector of All Saints. He was the eldest of fourteen children born to Erasmus Dryden … See more

Dryden was the dominant literary figure and influence of his age. He established the heroic couplet as a standard form of English poetry by writing successful satires, religious … See more

On 1 December 1663 Dryden married Lady Elizabeth Howard (died 1714). The marriage was at St. Swithin's, London, and the consent of the … See more

Editions
• The Works of John Dryden, 20 vols., ed. H.T. Swedenberg Jr. et al. (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1956–2002)
• John Dryden The Major Works, ed. by Keith Walker, (Oxford: Oxford University … See more

After the Restoration, as Dryden quickly established himself as the leading poet and literary critic of his day, he transferred his allegiances to the new government. Along with Astraea Redux, Dryden welcomed the new regime with two more panegyrics: To His … See more

What Dryden achieved in his poetry was neither the emotional excitement of the early nineteenth-century romantics nor the intellectual … See more

Dramatic works
Dates given are (acted/published) and unless otherwise noted are taken from Scott's edition.
• See more