John Dryden was an influential English poet and critic in the late 17th century. He considered the primary function of poetry to be providing delight to readers, with instruction as a secondary purpose. Dryden believed tragedies should inspire emotions like pity and fear in audiences. He argued the strict rules of unity of time and place constrained playwrights creatively and did not allow plots to fully develop. Dryden is regarded as the father of English literary criticism due to the wide scope of his criticism and for establishing principles to evaluate creative works.