An Essay Upon Poetry
work by Sheffield
Quick Summary
John Sheffield's An Essay Upon Poetry (1682) is a work of poetic essays written in heroic couplets. This essay aims to define the key characteristics of various literary genres, such as odes, elegies, and epics. Sheffield, who was also a statesman and patron of John Dryden, wrote this piece in a style intended to emulate Horace's Epistles. The essay is a significant contribution to literary criticism, offering insights into poetic forms and styles.1
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