This document summarizes English poets from 1660-1798. It discusses major poets such as John Dryden who wrote satires and translations of classical works. Alexander Pope is discussed for his translations of Homer's works and poems like The Rape of the Lock. Other poets mentioned include Oliver Goldsmith, James Thomson, Edward Young, Robert Blair, Thomas Gray, William Blake, Robert Burns, and William Cowper. The document analyzes the themes and styles of poetry in this era, including the popularity of the heroic couplet and poems focusing on subjects like nature, death, and escaping the orderliness of the 18th century.

1. EIGHtH MEEtInG – EnGlIsH poEts 1660-EIGHtH MEEtInG – EnGlIsH poEts 1660-
17981798
For poem, mostly focused on biting satires (scorn and
polished and forceful verse) and translation in
rhymed couplets.
Poet & Playwright: John Dryden
However, his early poem Annus Mirabilis (1667) uses
4 line stanzas, describing the War vs Holland and Great
Fire of London in 1666
Absalom and Achitophel (1681) is his satire which
attacks politicians through Bible story.
MacFlecknoe (1682) is another of his satire,
this time, it’s attacking his rival, Shadwell.

2. His two popular song lyrics:
Ode for Saint Cecilia’s Day (1687)
and Alexander’s Feast (1697)
Poet & Playwright : John Dryden
His translations:
Latin satires of Juvenal,
the whole of Virgil,
and parts of Horace and Ovid.
Greek parts of Homer and Theocritus.

3. For poem, used the couplet as a smooth but steely
tool.
Poet: Alexander Pope
His Essay on Criticism (1711), like much of his work,
contains memorable sayings like: “A little learning is a
dangerous thing.”
His famous The Rape of the Lock (1712-4), although is
treated as important, is actually a light subject about a
quarrel just because of hair.

4. Poet: Alexander Pope
His translations:
The Iliad and the Odyssey of Homer.
His Imitation of Horace (1733-9) is in heroic couplet
and in some parts are very bitter.
His Dunciad (1728) is a satire attacking on dullness.
His Essay on Man (1732-4) shows little
philosophy, but has the usual polish.

5. Poet: Alexander Pope
He wrote four Moral Essays (1731-5) about characters
of men, characters of women and two proper uses of
riches.
Poet: Oliver Goldsmith
His two popular poems are The Traveller (1764)
and The Deserted Village (1770) – about Irish people
who have been driven away by bigger landowners.
18th
Century = The Age of Reason , so heroic
couplet is well suited to verse based on
reasoning, but there are other sorts of poetry:

6. Poet: James Thomson
Unlike Pope who believed ‘The proper study of
mankind is man’, Thomson chose The Seasons as his
special study.
He wrote four poems in blank verse: Winter
(1726), Summer (1727), Spring (1728),
and Autumn (1730)
He also wrote The Castle of Indolence
(1748) in Spenserian stanza, about a poet’s
dream in a sleepy language.

7. Poet: Edward Young
His Night Thoughts in blank verse talked about life,
death, the future world, and God.
Poet: Robert Blair
In his poem The Grave (1743), he begs the dead to
come back and tell us about the grave.
Poet: Thomas Gray
His Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard (1750)
describes his thoughts as he looks at the graves.
Below is the churchyard school poets, those
who choose death for their subject:

8. Poet: Thomas Gray
The Bard(1750) is intended as a sad song by a Welsh
poet to King Edward I, who put all the Welsh poets to
death.
In Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College (1742),
he thinks of the boys still at school and of their present
happiness and their future troubles.
In Ode on a Favourite Cat(1747) talks about his cat
which was drowned.

9. Some poets in this era turned to the past when they
tried to escape the orderliness of 18th
century
Reliques of Ancient English Poetry (1765, Thomas
Percy) brought back old poems from the darkness of
the past.
Fragment of Ancient Poetry (1760, James
Macpherson) pretended to be old poems written by
Ossian.

10. Poet & Artist: William Blake
His poetry has hidden meanings that are hard to
understand. He didn’t believe in reality of matter,
power of earthly rulers, and punishment after death.
His famous works are Songs of Innocence (1787) and
Songs of Experience (1794)
Poet & Farmer: Robert Burns
His famous works are Mary Morrison, John Anderson,
The Banks of Doon, and a love-song “My love’s like a
red, red rose”

11. Poet: William Cowper
His poetry is simpler and more natural in expression.
The example of his works are The Task (1784)

12. See You next week!