LIFE AND LITERATURE

JOHN DRYDEN          Despite his popularity during the Restoration and even today, little is known about John Dryden except what is contained in his works. Because Dryden wrote from the beginning through the end of the Restoration period, following his career is like following the history of English society during this time. In fact, many literary scholars consider the end of the Restoration period to have occurred with Dryden's death in 1700. Dryden was the first born of fourteen to Puritan parents on 9 August 1631. In 1659, Dryden published his first writing entitled " Heroique Stanzas to the Glorious Memory of Cromwell." Then, in 1660 , he wrote "Astraea Redux ," another poem, but this one celebrated " the happy Restoration and return" of Charles II. Also in 1660, Dryden wrote a poem honoring Sir Robert Howard, an investor in the King's Company, with whom Dryden remained involved personally and professionally for some time. Howard h...

Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer - ( 1343 – 25 October 1400 ), known as the Father of English literature , is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to be buried in Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. Geoffrey Chaucer occupies a unique position in the Middle Ages. He was born a commoner, but through his intellect and astute judgments of human character, he moved freely among the aristocracy. Although very little is definitely known about the details of his life, Chaucer was probably born shortly after 1340. Although the family name (from French "Chaussier") suggests that the family originally made shoes, Chaucer's father, John, was a prosperous wine merchant. Both Chaucer's father and grandfather had minor standing at court, and Geoffrey Chaucer's own name appears in the household accounts of Elizabeth, Countess of Ulster and wife to Prince Lionel. As a household servant, Chaucer probably accomp...