Explore the groundbreaking poetics of John Dryden, a pivotal figure in seventeenth-century English literature. David B. Kramer’s incisive study reveals how Dryden masterfully navigated the “burden of the past” through sophisticated literary appropriation, forging new art from existing works. Understand Dryden’s unique strategies, including literary “imperialism,” and how historical shifts transformed his poetic voice and persona. Offering vital frameworks for analysing poetic production and influence, this work is indispensable for students and scholars of English literature, literary history, and seventeenth-century poetry in India.