Voting Station

John Dryden

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Playwright

The Resume

    (August 19, 1631-May 12, 1700)
    Resided in London
    Wrote ‘Essay on Dramatic Poesie (1668),’ ‘Marriage A-La-Mode (1672),’ ‘All for Love (1677),’ ‘Absalom and Achitophel (1681),’ ‘MacFlecknoe (1682)’ and ‘King Arthur (1691)’
    Poet Laureate of Great Britain (1668-1688)

Why he might be annoying:

    He married a woman for her money and social status.
    He switched religions depending on which one was popular.
    He attacked fellow writers he didn’t like.
    His works are full of boring historical and mythological references.
    He’s largely forgotten today.
    He once awarded the prize in a poetry contest to this ‘poem’: ‘I promise to pay John Dryden, or order on demand,/The sum of 500 pounds.’

Why he might not be annoying:

    When he eventually decided to stay a Catholic, the King stripped him of his Poet Laureate title.
    He survived the Great Fire of London and the English Civil War.
    He influenced writers like Alexander Pope and Dr. Samuel Johnson.
    He was one of the first critics to single out Shakespeare as a great writer.
    The Earl of Rochester had him beaten up for a satire that somebody ELSE actually wrote.

Credit: Wieland Kalligaro


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 117 Votes: 52.14% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 70.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 26 Votes: 23.08% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 15 Votes: 53.33% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 9 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 7 Votes: 71.43% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 7 Votes: 85.71% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 20 Votes: 85.00% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 83 Votes: 54.22% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 14 Votes: 64.29% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 53 Votes: 71.70% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 51 Votes: 72.55% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 29 Votes: 65.52% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 158 Votes: 67.72% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 59 Votes: 57.63% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 97 Votes: 63.92% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 121 Votes: 64.46% Annoying
    In 2005, Out of 78 Votes: 60.26% Annoying