Dryden's essay on Dramatic poesy

          Hello! I am divya parmar. In this blog i am discussing about Dryden's essay on "Dramatic poesy" for complete my classroom task given by dilip barad sar. In this blog first i give some basic information about John Dryden and his essay on Dramatic poesy. After that I move to the question-answer section. 

➡️ who was John Dryden?

          John Dryden ( 19 August,1631 – 12 May, 1700) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who was appointed England's first Poet Laureate in 1668. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden. Romanticist writer Sir Walter Scott called him "Glorious John". He is known as "Father of English criticism" by Samuel Johnson. The character of John Dryden plays a vital role in development of English criticism. John Dryden wrote Dramatic poesy in French language cause he wants to satirical attack on French literature. He was great critic cause he attack on bad parts, he criticised bad parts but along with that he appreciate good parts also! 

➡️ Dryden's essay: Dramatic poesy

          Criticism flourished in England during the restoration of Stuarts. An Essay of Dramatic Poesy deals with the views of major critics and the tastes of men and women of the time of Dryden. The work is in the form of semi-drama thus making abstract theories interesting. In the late 17th century, Shakespeare was severely criticised for his careless attitude towards the mixing of genres. It was Dryden who elevated Shakespeare to height for his natural genius. 

          The beginning of the narrative An Essay of Dramatic Poesy or Of Dramatic Poesie is as follows. A battle is going on between England and the Netherlands.Four gentlemen namely Crites, Eugenius, Lisideius and Neander are travelling by boat to see the battle and start a discussion on modern literature. Crites opens the discussion by saying that none of his contemporaries (i.e. moderns) can equal the standards and the rules set by ancient Greeks and Romans. Eugenius restrains him from wasting time on finding demerits. He asks him to find relative merit in Greeks and Moderns. 

➡️ Question-Answer : 

1️⃣ 1) Do you any difference between Aristotle's definition of Tragedy and Dryden's definition of Play?

Answer: yes, I can find difference between Aristotle's defination of tragedy and Dryden's defination of play. For that we have to read both definitions.

1. Aristotle's defination of Tragedy:

2. Dryden's defination of play: 

          so After understand the definition by both we can diffrenciate definition.  Aristotle says that tragedy is an imitation of an action Aristotle believes that there is natural pleasure in imitation where as Dryden define play as just and lively image of human nature representing it is passion and humorous and the change of fortune to which it is subject for the devite and instructions of man kind . 

2️⃣ If you are supposed to give your personal predilection, would you be on the side of the Ancient or the Modern? Please give reasons.

Answer: If I have asked to give my personal predilection, I would like to be side of the modern. In Dramatic poesy there are four characters. Among them character of Crites supports Ancient and Eugenious supports the Moderns! Both Ancient and Modern have their own ideas and style to writing but somewhere and somewhere modern take ideas from Ancient. modern add their point of view, new ideas and different things according current time. So Modern literature is more appropriate according to me.

3️⃣ What would be your preference so far as poetic or prosaic dialogues are concerned in the play? 

Answer : In the play both the form poetic and prosaic both are important but my preference goes to poetic. Our life is in kind of prosaic dialogues. so as far poetic involves some interest, easily understanding and make it different.

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