The British Poets: John Dryden.
DRYDEN, John.
The British Poets: John Dryden.
The Extra-Illustrated Crown edition of The Poems of John Dryden
London: British Literary Society, n.d.
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Item Number: 151504
The extra-illustrated Crown edition of the poems of John Dryden, limited to ten numbered and registered sets. Small octavo, five volumes, publisher’s exquisite deluxe full morocco binding with gilt titles and elaborate botanical gilt tooling to the spine in four compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling and elaborate botanical gilt decorations to the front and rear panels, ivory and green floral inlays to the spine and panels, full morocco doublures elaborately decorated in gilt, silk-watered endleaves, all edges gilt, ribbons bound in, extra-illustrated with tissue-guarded hand-coloured plates. In near fine condition.
John Dryden (1631–1700) was a central figure in the literary culture of Restoration England, widely regarded as the period’s leading poet, dramatist, and critic. His work is characterized by its clarity, formal balance, and engagement with the political and religious tensions of his time. As Poet Laureate, Dryden contributed to the development of English neoclassicism, emphasizing order, decorum, and adherence to classical models. His critical essays, particularly An Essay of Dramatic Poesy (1668), helped shape early English literary criticism by articulating principles of genre, imitation, and poetic judgment. In both his satires, such as Absalom and Achitophel, and his translations of classical authors like Virgil, Dryden demonstrated a mastery of heroic couplets and a commitment to adapting classical traditions to contemporary English contexts.
