Happy the Man - John Dryden
42s
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Pristine Prosody - GramoVox
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John Dryden (1631 – 1700) was a poet, playwright and literary critic; mostly known for being the first Poet Laureate of England. He was a leading literary figure during the English Restoration era and was revered by several of his compatriots. Interestingly, he was also the second cousin of one of my favourite essayists - Jonathan Swift. His subject matter was often factual, and he aimed at expressing his thoughts in the most precise and concentrated manner.
After enduring 2020 and learning huge lessons from it, this short poem which could be viewed as two Quartrain stanzas (4 lines each) sums what I feel about living in the present, perfectly. Here's to John Dryden and his mastery in verse!
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