John Dryden (August 19, 1631 - May 12, 1700) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who was made Poet Laureate in 1668. William Wycherley (1640 - December 31, 1715) was an English dramatist of the Restoration period, best known for the plays The Country Wife and The Plain Dealer. Matthew Prior (July 21, 1664 - September 18, 1721) was an English poet and diplomat. Alexander Pope (May 21, 1688 - May 30, 1744) was an 18th century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. Famous for his use of the heroic couplet, he is the 3rd most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson.