ThestyleofDrydeniscapriciousandvaried,thatofPopeiscautiousanduniform;Drydenobeysthemotionsofhisownmind,Popeconstrainshismindtohisownrulesofcomposition.Drydenissometimesvehementandrapid;Popeisalwayssmooth,uniform,andgentle.Dryden’spageisanaturalfield,risingintoonequalities,anddiversifiedbythevariedexuberanceofabundantvegetation;Pope’sisavelvetlawn,shavenbythescythe,andleveledbytheroller. Ofgenius,thatpowerwhichconstitutesapoet;thatqualitywithoutwhichjudgmentiscold,andknowledgeisinert;thatenergywhichcollects,combines,amplifies,andanimates;thesuperioritymust,withsomehesitation,beallowedtoDryden.Itisnottobeinferred,thatofthispoeticalvigorPopehadonlyalittle,BecauseDrydenhadmore;foreveryotherwritersinceMiltonmustgiveplacetoPope;andevenofDrydenitmustbesaid,that,ifhehasbrighterparagraphs,hehasnotbetterpoems.Dryden’sperformanceswerealwayshasty,eitherexcitedbysomeexternaloccasion,orextortedbydomesticnecessity;hecomposedwithoutconsideration,andpublishedwithoutcorrection,whathismindcouldsupplyatcall,orgatherinoneexcursion,wasallthathesought,andallthathegave.ThedilatorycautionofPopeenabledhimtocondensehissentiments,tomultiplyhisimages,andtoaccumulateallthatstudymightproduce,orchancemightsupply.IfofDryden’sfiretheblazeisbright,ofPope’stheheatismoreregularandconstant.Drydenoftensurpassesexpectation,andPopeneverfallsbelowit.(300words)
德莱顿的写作风格形式多样，变化多端；蒲柏则严谨而统一。德莱顿创作时直抒胸臆，蒲柏则按自己的章法创作。德莱顿有时文笔激烈恣肆，蒲柏则流畅匀整，温柔有致。德莱顿的诗篇是片自然田地，高低起伏不一，郁郁葱葱，杂然纷呈。蒲柏的诗篇则是天鹅绒般丝滑的草地，镰刀修整得法，滚筒机抚平般的平整光滑。 所谓天才，就是以其才力造就伟大诗人，并使知识见解免于晦涩呆滞。其能力可汇集万念、聚集百思、延伸四方、激活万物。从这些方面比较，德莱顿要胜出几分。然而依此来推断蒲柏诗才匮乏，德莱顿才华横溢，却又有些荒谬。须知自弥尔顿以来，除德莱顿外，蒲柏可雄踞其他文人之上。即使比较两人，德莱顿虽有些惊人语段，但通篇匀整流畅则不及蒲柏。德莱顿常因形势所迫、或家用所急而下笔匆匆。行文未加思索，付梓又不加修正。他所追求的无非是心随所想，兴致所到之处就作成诗篇。蒲柏下笔则极为谨慎，小心翼翼，所以能凝练情思，丰富意象，又能借积累之所学，机缘之巧遇。若德莱顿文章之火易熊熊燃烧，蒲柏诗篇则是微火慢炖，持久弥香。德莱顿常常出人意料，蒲柏则处处不负所望。
