Essay Questions

Why did John Dryden wrote "Annus Mirabilis’’?

"Annus Mirabilis’’, or translated into English, "The wonderful Year’’ was written in the year 1666. The year 1666 was the first one after a series of years in which the British society was plagued by different calamities such as the Black Plague and the Great Fire of London. Many people who lived during those times saw those events as a sign from God and many believed they were punished for being wicked. Though his poem, John Dryden wanted to transmit a different idea, namely how the British Society ought to see the events in a more positive light and to look at the bright things in life. Thus, through this poem, the author wanted to give hope to his fellow sufferers.

What were the Punic Wars?

In the beginning of the poem, the narrator mentions the Punic Wars as battles fought between Rome and an enemy country. The "Punic Wars" is the name given to a series of wars that took place from the third to the second century before Christ between two nations, Rome and Carthage. The reason why the narrator mentioned the wars is to draw a parallel between the situation that existed in his own country and another similar situation from the past.

What are the miraculous events mentioned by John Dryden in the poem, or the events which he praises?

The first even mentioned is the battle between England and Holland which took place in 1665. The battle is known as the Battle of Lowestof. The Dutch were the first to attack the English in an attempt to stop the British from creating another blockade which would stop the trade in their country. The English won and suffered a minim of human losses. The second event was another battle named The Four Days Battle in 1666, fought once more between England and the Dutch. The British won again but this time they suffered massive losses. The third event is another battle that took place a month later and is named as St. James’s Day Battle during which England won once more. The fourth event is the Great Fire of London which while many saw as being a tragedy but some perceived it as being something positive because it eventually lead to new projects being implemented in London.