Essay Questions

What was the reason behind the writing of the poem?

The poem "The Hind and the Panther’’ was published in the year 1687 by John Dryden. Two years before the poem was published, its writer, John Dryden converted to Catholicism from Protestantism. The conversion of the writer was seen as being controversial for a number of reasons. First of all, the country was largely Protestant and Catholics and other religions similar to it were under pressure from the Protestants. The Catholics could practice their faith only in private as many practices linked with Catholicism were outlawed. Between the Catholics and the Protestants of the time existed an almost permanent conflict which could become at times violent. Because of these factors, many believed Dryden converted to Catholicism not because he was a believer, but because he wanted to get closer to the new King, James II who came to power in 1685, the same year when Dryden decided to convert to Catholicism. King James II was Roman Catholic so many believed Dryden was trying to get involved in politics. Because of this, the poem is seen by many as an attempt from Dryden to convince those who knew him of his faith and the true nature of his conversion.

What does the mother represent in the poem?

The Hind is the first character mentioned and described by the narrator. The Hind is described as being pure, calm and peaceful and as wanting nothing more than to live a happy life. When the Hind begins to be attacked by the other animals, the mother of the Hind is the first one to feel pain and even anger. The Hind is used in the poem as a metaphor which represents the Catholic Church while the rest of the animals represent other religious confessions which attacked the Catholic Church. The mother in this case could stand for either the religious leaders in Rome or even for God himself. The fact that the mother suffers is used to transmit the idea that when a religious confession is persecuted in one country, the whole organization suffers as a result.

What are some of the animals mentioned in the poem and what do they represent?

The author uses animal imagery to represent the various religions which existed in England during the time when the poem was written. The first animal to be mentioned in the Hind, which also appears in the title of the poem. The Hind is used here to symbolize the Catholic Church, the church to which the narrator converted to. The Hind is described as being pure and interested in peace while the other animals try to hurt it. The second animal is the Panther, which stands here for the Anglican Church, the former church to which the author was a member of. In comparison with the hind, the panther is violent and this suggests the various ways in which the Anglican Church tried to stop other religions from gaining more followers. The next animal is the Bear, used here to represent the Independents who also gained a lot of followers during the 17th century. In comparison with the Anglicans, the Independents are described in a slightly more positive way, partially because they advocated for freedom of religion and supported the Catholics and their rights to express their faith as they saw fit. Other religions mentioned in the poem are the Presbyterians, represented by a wolf, the Socinians, represented by a fox and the Anabaptists represented by a boar.