One of a series of works aimed at presenting contemporary critical opinion on major authors, this collection includes essays by Bernard Schilling, T. S. Eliot, Louis I. Bredvold, James M. Osborn, Reuben A. Brower, Edwin Morgan, Earl Wasserman, R. J. Kaufmann, Moody E. Prior, Earl W. Miner, Edward N. Hooker, E. M. W. Tillyard, John Hollander, Arthur W. Hoffman, and David Wright--all dealing with the biography and literary work of John Dryden. Designed for use by both literary critics and secondary and college teachers of English, this work would also be of value to undergraduate and graduate students of literature. Topics covered include the intellectual milieu of John Dryden, Dryden and poetic tradition, the poetics of terminal tragedy, Dryden's use of metaphor, the odes, and the"Various John Dryden." A chronology of important dates in Dryden's life, a brief set of biographical notes on the contributors to this collection, and a bibliography of works on Dryden complete this volume. (LL)