Poet's empty study (6)
I believe the answer is:
dryden
'poet's' is the definition.
(John Dryden)
'empty study' is the wordplay.
'empty' becomes 'dry' (eg a dry river).
'study' becomes 'den' (term for a study or office).
'dry'+'den'='DRYDEN'
(Other definitions for dryden that I've seen before include "John -, English seventeenth century poet, dramatist" , "Mac Flecknoe was his" , "Restoration author" , "Amphitryon was his" , "Poet laureate, 1668-1689" .)