Dryden's eighteenth-century style is most closely associated with which movement?

• A. Romanticism
• B. Realism
• C. Classicism
• D. Neoclassicism

Answer: (D)

Neoclassicism centers on reviving classical models of order, reason, and formal craft in 18th‑century literature. Dryden embodies it through disciplined verse and drama—clear syntax, balanced structure, and polished diction often in heroic couplets—along with a critical program that champions classical rules. His approach favors imitation and refinement of Greek and Roman models, aiming for restraint and moral clarity rather than wild emotion. Romanticism centers on intense feeling and individual imagination, Realism on depicting everyday life, and Classicism is the broader tradition; the 18th‑century revival that Dryden’s style exemplifies is specifically neoclassicism. So the best fit is neoclassicism.