Author Description

Alexander's Feast, MacFlecknoe, and St. Cecilia's Day is a literary work by the famous English poet and playwright, John Dryden, published in 1883. This book is a collection of three of Dryden's most popular poems, each with its own unique style and subject matter.The first poem, Alexander's Feast, is an ode written in honor of Alexander the Great. It celebrates the power of music and its ability to move people's emotions. The poem is set in the context of a banquet held in honor of Alexander, and it describes how the music of the great musician Timotheus moved the king and his guests to tears, laughter, and even rage.The second poem, MacFlecknoe, is a satirical work that takes aim at a contemporary poet named Thomas Shadwell, who was a rival of Dryden's. The poem is a mock-heroic satire that portrays Shadwell as the king of a land of dullness and mediocrity, where bad poetry reigns supreme.The third poem, St. Cecilia's Day, is an ode written in honor of the patron saint of music, St. Cecilia. The poem celebrates the power of music to inspire and uplift the human spirit, and it describes how St. Cecilia's music moved the heavens and the earth.The book also includes philological and explanatory notes that provide readers with a deeper understanding of the language, themes, and historical context of the poems. Overall, Alexander's Feast, MacFlecknoe, and St. Cecilia's Day is a fascinating collection of works that showcases Dryden's mastery of different poetic forms and his ability to capture the power and beauty of music in his writing.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.