[3] Dyson retired in 1963 but returned as emeritus fellow in 1969, teaching the newly introduced "modern" literature paper.

Dyson was not a prolific writer, but the quality and voluminous quantity of his lectures and general conversation had quite an effect on people.

He wrote the introduction of his first published book Poetry and Prose (1933), which is a collection of works of Alexander Pope with notes by Dyson.

[4] Another of his few publications is Augustans and Romantics, 1689–1830 (1940),[5] a survey of contemporary English literature with a bibliography by Professor John Butt.

Dyson's relaxed style resulted in him being cast in a small part in the 1965 film Darling[8] as Professor Walter Southgate, a major literary character.