In this series, a contemporary poet selects and introduces a poet of the past. By their selection of verses and by the personal and critical reactions they express in their introductions, the selectors offer a passionate and accessible introduction to some of the greatest poets in history.

John Dryden (1631-1700) was educated at Westminster School and Cambridge University and became the leading literary figure of the Restoration period. Poet, playwright, polemicist and critic, Dryden became Poet Laureate in 1668 and Historiographer Royal in 1670. He concluded his vast output with Fables Ancient and Modern (1700).