The intense and concentrated revolution in poetic taste in seventeenth-century England is traced from Donne's idiom--subtle, complex, and shot through with unconventional moods--to the idiom of Dryden, which follows the taste for clarity, harmony, and propriety. More than poetry is involved in this revolt. The cultural and intellectual forces of the century made a change in taste inevitable by altering man's way of looking at himself and his world. Originally published in 1940. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.