John Dryden wrote his way to fame. So much so that, the period of Restoration England was known as the Dryden Age in literary circles.
Dryden was born in England on August 9th, 1631. Dryden attended the Westminster school. In 1650, he was admitted to Trinity College, and he received his BA in 1654. His literary career began in the 1660s. ‘To His Sacred Majesty: A Panegyric on his Coronation’ and ‘To My Lord Chancellor’ were published in 1662. Dryden may have hoped to attract royal patrons with these publications. The long poem ‘Annus Mirabilis’ was published in 1667. Two victories achieved by the English fleet over the Dutch, and the escape of the Londoners from the Great Fire of 1666 are the subjects of this poem.
‘Mac Flecknoe’, ‘Absalom and Achitophel’ and ‘The Medal’ are outstanding examples of satiric verse. In 1682, he wrote ‘Religio Laici’, a collection of religious poems. John Dryden passed away on 12th May 1700, and was buried in St. Anne’s cemetery in Soho. However, ten days later, his body was taken out and buried in Westminster Abbey.
