McFlecknoe
Book •
John Dryden's MacFlecknoe (often spelled MacFlecknoe) is a mock-epic satirical poem targeting the poet Thomas Shadwell, portraying him as the heir to a kingdom of dullness.
Employing mock-heroic devices, Dryden adapts epic form for invective, ridiculing his rival's poetic abilities and literary tastes.
The poem exemplifies Restoration satire and influenced later mock-epic works in the eighteenth century.
Its sharp humor and confident classical allusions established a template for using epic diction to belittle contemporary figures.
The tradition of mock-epic satire into which Pope's The Rape of the Lock fits traces part of its lineage to Dryden's work.
Employing mock-heroic devices, Dryden adapts epic form for invective, ridiculing his rival's poetic abilities and literary tastes.
The poem exemplifies Restoration satire and influenced later mock-epic works in the eighteenth century.
Its sharp humor and confident classical allusions established a template for using epic diction to belittle contemporary figures.
The tradition of mock-epic satire into which Pope's The Rape of the Lock fits traces part of its lineage to Dryden's work.
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Mark Ford
Narrative Poems: ‘The Rape of the Lock’ by Alexander Pope
