Which of the following events is attributed to Dryden's early poems?

• A. The death of Oliver Cromwell
• B. The writing of Don Quixote
• C. The publication of The Canterbury Tales
• D. The discovery of gravity

Answer: (A)

Early poetry by Dryden often responds to current events, using elevated verse to capture public feeling. The death of Oliver Cromwell is a clear example of this, as Dryden composed a poem to mark that moment and give poetic weight to a major political event of his time. The other options are not connected to Dryden’s early work: Don Quixote is a work by Cervantes, The Canterbury Tales is Chaucer’s, and Newton’s gravity discovery is a scientific milestone not tied to Dryden’s poetry. So the event most closely associated with Dryden’s early poems is the death of Oliver Cromwell.