In that wild Deluge where the world was drown'd,
When life and sin one common Tombe had found,
The first small prospect of a rising hill
With various notes of Joy the Ark did fill:
Yet when the flood in its own depths was drown'd,
It left behind it false and slipp'ry ground,
And the more solemn pomp was still deferr'd
Till new-born Nature in fresh looks appear'd;
Thus (Royall Sir,) to see you landed here
Was cause enough of triumph for a year:
Nor would your care those glorious joyes repeat
Till they at once might be sure and great:
Till your kind beams by their continu'd stay
Had warm'd the ground and call'd the Damps away.
Such vapours while your pow'rful Influence dries,
Then soonest vanish when they highest rise.
Had greater hast these sacred rights prepar'd,
Some guilty Moneths had in your Triumphs shar'd:
But this untainted year is all your own,
Your glory's may without our crimes be shown. (Lines 1-20)

Basic set up:

This poem was written by John Dryden to celebrate the reinstatement of Charles II to the throne of England. Yeah, John Dryden (unlike say, the Sex Pistols) said "God Saves The King" and meant it.

The coronation of Charles II in 1660, and the restoration of monarchy in England, is the political event that kick-started the Restoration literary movement. In Dryden's poem, we see this political event taking center stage. Dryden is happy that Charles II has been restored to power (Dryden was a Royalist, after all), and he celebrates the restoration in this poem. There was a lot to celebrate: Charlie Two opened the theaters of England back up, for one.

The poem's emphasis on a political event reflects the fact that much of Restoration literature dealt with political themes. There was a lot of political change and upheaval during this period, so it's no wonder that Dryden—and other writers—engaged with politics in their writing.

Dryden's poem is written in heroic couplets. Each line is made up of ten syllables, and each two lines rhyme. Dryden, as we've mentioned, played a really important part in establishing and popularizing heroic couplets in English poetry.

In this poem there are plenty of wonderful examples of these couplets, such as "Yet when that flood in its own depths was drown'd,/ It left behind it false and slipp'ry ground." The rhythm here is defined by these couplets… they really are the heroes of this poem.