This volume, a celebration of the tercentenary of Dryden's death, examines the impact of his work through a range of essays by leading Dryden scholars. These essays pay special attention to two aspects of his work that have received less attention than they deserve: the politics of his plays, and Dryden's position as a poet poised between ancient and modern influences. The essays therefore fall into two groups. Part I, The Court, the Town, and the Playhouse, features essays that reconsider Dryden's interaction with the London of his day, and how that interaction shapes his work - particularly his drama. Part II, Dryden and the Poets, examines Dryden's place in the literary tradition, setting him alongside those poets who influenced him, those he influenced, and contemporary poetic rivals. Together, the essays form a new appreciation of the extraordinary ambition and impact of this most dynamic dramatist and poet.