John Dryden’s 1680 Preface to Ovid’s Epistles laid out three types of translation: metaphrase (word-for-word), paraphrase (sense-for-sense), and imitation (loose adaptation). His argument for the middle path of paraphrase, along with his practical observations on the translator’s work, made this an early and clear discussion of translation in English.
This transcription begins where Dryden transitions from discussing Ovid’s life and work to articulating his translation theory. I have transcribed this from a 1776 printing and retained as best I could the spelling, capitalization and punctuation of that edition. The book is available on the Internet Archive.
Ross Belot January 16, 2026
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Article Author Biography
John Dryden (1631–1700) was an English poet, playwright, and critic. He served as Poet Laureate from 1668 until 1688, losing the position after converting to Catholicism and refusing to swear allegiance to William and Mary. His later years were especially productive in translation, including influential versions of Virgil, Juvenal, and Ovid. Dryden’s critical prefaces and essays were foundational to English literary criticism, particularly in their treatment of translation theory and poetic practice. His work bridges the Restoration and the early eighteenth century.
This work was submitted as being in the Public Domain by Ross Belot and was sourced from Internet Archive.