Samuel Garth | Biography

Upon the publication of his mock-epic poem, The Dispensary, in 1699, Samuel Garth achieved an overnight fame that led many to hail him as the logical heir to John Dryden as England's reigning poet. In the early years of the eighteenth century Garth's wit, the facility of his verse, and the importance of his work in refining and demonstrating the possibilities of the heroic couplet as a satiric vehicle all recommended him to his contemporaries. With the later emergence of more polished and prolific practitioners in the same mode (most notably Alexander Pope, who greatly admired Garth and generously acknowledged his influence and example) Garth's reputation diminished significantly, though his works continued to be read, praised, and emulated throughout the century. After having been largely forgotten during the nineteenth century, Garth has more recently come to be recognized as one of the more talented and interesting poets of his age....
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