England's first Poet Laureate was John Dryden, who was appointed in 1668. He was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden. He is seen as dominating the literary scene of the Restoration and is remembered for his Restoration comedies, his lyric poetry, and his translations of Virgil and Homer.