Matthew Prior Criticism
Matthew Prior (1664-1721) was an English poet, essayist, and satirist renowned for his occasional verse and love poetry. Serving as an unofficial poet laureate during the reigns of King William III and Queen Anne, he composed poems to commemorate significant events. His work reflects the classical allusions typical of the Restoration period, yet he infused it with the wit and lightness of Augustan poetry. Prior successfully published his collected works, Poems on Several Occasions in 1718, marking a shift from reliance on patronage to subscription sales.
Born in Westminster, Prior's educational path was interrupted by his father's death, but he was later supported by the Earl of Dorset, leading to his enrollment at St. John's College, Cambridge. His literary career began with the satirical The Hind and the Panther Transvers'd to the Story of The Country Mouse and the City-Mouse, co-authored with Charles Montagu, which gained him national recognition. His diplomatic career flourished with significant roles in treaties that shaped European politics, notably earning the Treaty of Utrecht the moniker "Matt's Peace." His political life, however, came to a halt with Queen Anne's death, leading to his temporary imprisonment and subsequent retirement to Essex, where he wrote "Alma; or the Progress of the Mind."
Prior's major works include the acclaimed Poems on Several Occasions, featuring philosophical and bawdy narratives such as "Solomon on the Vanity of the World" and "Paulo Purganti and His Wife." His subtle irony and humor were further highlighted in adaptations like "Henry and Emma." He also excelled in dialogues, as discussed in Richard Morton's analysis of Dialogues of the Dead, which celebrated his innovative use of dialogue and setting.
Critical reception of Prior's work has been mixed. While Samuel Johnson offered some harsh critiques, he also recognized Prior's talents. Subsequent scholars, such as those referenced by Frances Mayhew Rippy, highlight Prior's influence on later literary figures like Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope. Although his work is sometimes labeled as lacking originality, Prior openly acknowledged his imitative style, and his influence endures, as postulated by critics like John Higby who explore the intellectual depth of his dialogues. Prior’s contributions to literature, especially his refined narrative style, continue to be the subject of scholarly interest, underscoring his enduring impact on English poetry.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Essays
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The Life of Matthew Prior
(summary)
In the following excerpt from an introduction to a nineteenth-century edition of Prior's poetry, Gilfillan offers his opinion regarding Prior's most popular and accomplished works, discussing the merits and shortcomings of his 'Tales,' 'Occasional Poems,' and specific works such as 'Henry and Emma.'
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The Augustans: Prior
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Doughty discusses the influence of earlier poets on Prior as well as works by Prior that display a striking modernity.
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Matthew Prior's Dialogues of the Dead
(summary)
In the following essay, first presented as a lecture in 1964, Morton contrasts the approach to the dialogue des morts taken by various seventeenth- and eighteenth-century writers with that of Prior in his Dialogues of the Dead. Morton focuses particularly on Prior's use of irony, his subtlety, and effective portrayal of setting.
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Prior's 'Pritty Spanish Conceit'
(summary)
In the following essay, Fellows posits a Spanish source for a poetical concept developed in Prior's Alma.
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Idea and Art in Prior's Dialogues of the Dead
(summary)
In the essay below, Higby eschews comparisons with Prior's contemporaries who also wrote dialogue of the dead in order to examine what Prior's work in this subgenre reveals about his intellect and artistic gift.
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Pastoral Wars: Matthew Prior's Poems to Cloe
(summary)
In the following essay, Rower explains that, while Prior's early poems are typical of the Restoration, his later lyrics addressed to Cloe feature an enlarged context in which he achieves previously unattained levels of characterization and realism.
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The Major Impact of a Minor Poet
(summary)
In the following essay, Rippy summarizes Prior's contributions to British literature and describes his influence on Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, Samuel Johnson, and other writers.
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Dramatic Texture and Philosophical Debate in Prior's Dialogues of the Dead
(summary)
In this essay Nelson supplies an overview of what he considers Prior's unique contributions to the "dialogues of (or with) the dead" literary form.
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Making 'Intrest and freedom agree': Matthew Prior and the Ethics of Funeral Elegy
(summary)
In the following essay the critic suggests that Prior's personal and professional values and beliefs made him reluctant to write an elegy on the death of Queen Mary in 1694.
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The English Horace in Defense of Literature: Matthew Prior's Early Satires
(summary)
In the following essay, Nelson traces the development of Prior's satires, which began as expressions of personal invective and evolved into more considered satiric commentary on human types rather than specific individuals and often included elements of self-deprecation.
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Matthew Prior's Correspondence
(summary)
In the following essay, Merians contends that Prior deliberately adopted a style of letter-writing incorporating metaphor and persona. She also explores possible personal, professional, and political reasons for Prior's deliberate adoption of this mode of correspondence.
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An Autobiographical Ballad by Matthew Prior
(summary)
In the following essay, Wright and Wright describe and discuss a previously unpublished ballad by Prior.
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Narrative Transformations: Prior's Art of the Tale
(summary)
In the following essay, Nelson examines four of Prior's verse tales, comparing them to their sources, and explains how their adaptations benefitted from Prior's 'refinements in narrator, theme, and characterization.'
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Matthew Prior's 'An Epitaph'
(summary)
In the following essay, Thorson offers a close analysis of 'An Epitaph.'
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Convention and Consciousness in Prior's Love Lyrics
(summary)
In the following essay, Gildenhuys examines the function of consciousness in Prior's love poetry.
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'The Most Fatal of All Faults': Samuel Johnson on Prior's Solomon and the Need for Variety
(summary)
In the following essay, Davis examines the negative aspects of Samuel Johnson's The Life of Prior, in particular focusing on Johnson's assessment that much of Prior's work is tedious. Although the piece focuses on Johnson, it provides insightful analyses of his views on Prior's works.
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The Life of Matthew Prior
(summary)
- Further Reading