To understand why Option 3 is the correct chronological order of publication for the given works, let's take a closer look at each of them and their respective publication dates:
1. (B) A Defence of Rhyme (1603)
Written by Samuel Daniel, this is the earliest work on the list. It was published in 1602 and defends the use of rhyme in poetry, countering classical arguments that rhyme was not suitable for serious poetry.
2. (C) Life of Cowley (1779)
Written by Samuel Johnson, this biography is part of Johnson's "Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets". The "Life of Cowley" was first published in 1779. It discusses the poet Abraham Cowley and includes Johnson's broader ideas on poetry and criticism.
3. (A) Preface to Lyrical Ballads (1800/1802)
Written by William Wordsworth, the "Preface to Lyrical Ballads" is a manifesto of Romantic poetry. The first edition of the "Lyrical Ballads" appeared in 1798 without the preface, but Wordsworth added the famous preface in 1800 (revised further in 1802).
4. (D) Frontiers of Criticism (1956)
This is a lecture delivered by T.S. Eliot in 1956, discussing the changing boundaries and nature of literary criticism in the modern era.
Year-wise PYQs
