Which poet is connected to Dryden as a successor in wit and influence?

• A. Geoffrey Chaucer
• B. Samuel Johnson
• C. Alexander Pope
• D. John Dryden

Answer: (C)

This question tests recognizing the literary lineage of wit and influence among major English poets. John Dryden established a celebrated, razor-sharp satirical voice and a polished, powerful style that defined late 17th-century verse. Alexander Pope is widely described as Dryden’s heir in both wit and influence, carrying forward that exacting craftsmanship and satirical bite into the 18th century. Pope perfected the heroic couplet, refined technical artistry, and used that precision to mount social and moral critique, continuing Dryden’s tradition in a new era. Geoffrey Chaucer is from a much earlier period, so he isn’t the successor. Samuel Johnson, while influential, is known more for prose and criticism than as the direct verse successor to Dryden’s wit. John Dryden is the predecessor in this line, not the successor.