Question

John Dryden's critical essays foreshadow the satire of which eighteenth-century writer?

A.) William Shakespeare
B.) Thomas Hobbes
C.) Samuel Johnson
D.) John Locke
E.) Jonathan Swift

Answer 1

The correct answer is D) Jonathan Swift.

John Dryden's critical essays foreshadow the satire of the following eighteenth-century writer: Jonathan Swift.

For many authors, John Dryden (1631-1700) is considered the father of English criticism. The critical work of Dryden covered many literary genres such as tragic, comedy, epic, and satire.

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was an English satirist. He wrote the famous book "Gullivers Travels" in 1726.

Answer 2

The right answer is C, Samuel Johnson. Samuel Johnson, or Dr. Johnson (1709-1784), often quoted Dryden's poems in his critical essays and admired the wit and refinement of Dryden's language. He also believed that Dryden was the indisputable father of English criticism. An example of Dryden's influence on Johnson is the work The Vanity of Human Wishes: The Tenth Satire of Juvenal Imitated - Dryden had previously translated the work of Juvenal.