ABSALOM AND ACHITOPHEL

 

                                   

Hello everyone I'm going to write my blog on "Absalom and Achitophel" Poem written by most famous poet "John Dryden"; task is given by Dr. Dilip Barad sir. CLICK HERE for more information about the task.

# INTRODUCTION OF JOHN DRYDEN:-

                  

John Dryden, (born August 9 [August 19, New Style], 1631, Aldwinkle, Northamptonshire, England—died May 1 [May 12], 1700, London), English poet, dramatist, and literary critic who so dominated the literary scene of his day that it came to be known as the Age of Dryden.

The son of a country gentleman, Dryden grew up in the country. When he was 11 years old the Civil War broke out. Both his father’s and mother’s families sided with Parliament against the king, but Dryden’s own sympathies in his youth are unknown.

About 1644 Dryden was admitted to Westminster School, where he received a predominantly classical education under the celebrated Richard Busby. His easy and lifelong familiarity with classical literature begun at Westminster later resulted in idiomatic English translations.

In 1650 he entered Trinity College, Cambridge, where he took his B.A. degree in 1654. What Dryden did between leaving the university in 1654 and the Restoration of Charles II in 1660 is not known with certainty. In 1659 his contribution to a memorial volume for Oliver Cromwell marked him as a poet worth watching. His “heroic stanzas” were mature, considered, sonorous, and sprinkled with those classical and scientific allusions that characterized his later verse. This kind of public poetry was always one of the things Dryden did best.

When in May 1660 Charles II was restored to the throne, Dryden joined the poets of the day in welcoming him, publishing in June Astraea Redux, a poem of more than 300 lines in rhymed couplets. For the coronation in 1661, he wrote To His Sacred Majesty. These two poems were designed to dignify and strengthen the monarchy and to invest the young monarch with an aura of majesty, permanence, and even divinity. Thereafter, Dryden’s ambitions and fortunes as a writer were shaped by his relationship with the monarchy. On December 1, 1663, he married Elizabeth Howard, the youngest daughter of Thomas Howard, 1st earl of Berkshire. In due course she bore him three sons.

Dryden’s longest poem to date, Annus Mirabilis (1667), was a celebration of two victories by the English fleet over the Dutch and the Londoners’ survival of the Great Fire of 1666. In this work Dryden was once again gilding the royal image and reinforcing the concept of a loyal nation united under the best of kings. It was hardly surprising that when the poet laureate, Sir William Davenant, died in 1668, Dryden was appointed poet laureate in his place and two years later was appointed royal historiographer.

                       

After John Donne and John Milton, John Dryden was the greatest English poet of the 17th century. After William Shakespeare and Ben Jonson, he was the greatest playwright. And he has no peer as a writer of prose, especially literary criticism, and as a translator.

Other figures, such as George Herbert or Andrew Marvell or William Wycherley or William Congreve, may figure more prominently in anthologies and literary histories, but Dryden’s sustained output in both poetry and drama ranks him higher.

As a writer of prose he developed a lucid professional style, relying on patterns and rhythms of everyday speech. As a critic he developed a combination of methods—historical, analytical, evaluative, dialogic—that helped grow the neoclassical theory of literary criticism. As a translator he developed an easy manner of what he called paraphrase that produced brilliant versions of Homer, Lucretius, Horace, Ovid, Juvenal, Persius, Giovanni Boccaccio, Geoffrey Chaucer, and above all Virgil. His translation of The Aeneid remains the best ever produced in English. As a poet he perfected the heroic couplet, sprinkling it with judicious enjambments, triplets, and metric variations and bequeathing it to Alexander Pope to work upon it his own magic.

Dryden the poet is best known today as a satirist, although he wrote only two great original satires: Mac Flecknoe (1682) and The Medall (1682).

His most famous poem, Absalom and Achitophel (1681) contains several brilliant satiric portraits. But unlike satire, it comes to a final, tragic resolution.

So let's discuss the poem "Absalom and Achitophel",... 

For explanation of summary , character  analysis and themes watch these videos,.. 

                          

                       

CLICK HERE FOR BRIEF INFORMATION ABOUT CHARACTERS

> Let's discuss the comparison of"Political satire" and "SNL"Which is written in contemporary times,.. 

CLICK HERE FOR DETAIL INFORMATION ABOUT "SNL"

"Absalom and Achitophel" is a political satire written by John Dryden in the late 17th century, and it is known for its wit and critique of political figures of that time, especially King Charles II and his illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth.

In contemporary times, one notable political satire that can be compared to "Absalom and Achitophel" is "Saturday Night Live" (SNL). SNL is a long-running American sketch comedy show that has been providing political satire and commentary for decades. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATIONAL VIDEOS ABOUT POLITICAL SKETCHES ON "SNL"

Here are some key differences when comparing the two:

1. Medium: 

"Absalom and Achitophel" is a poem, while SNL is a television show. This difference in medium allows SNL to incorporate visual humor, impersonations, and real-time commentary through skits, which "Absalom and Achitophel" could not do in the same way.

2. Audience Reach: 

SNL has a wide and contemporary audience due to its television format and online presence, making it more accessible to a broader demographic. In contrast, "Absalom and Achitophel" was primarily read by literate individuals in Dryden's time, limiting its reach.

3. Timing: 

SNL is known for its rapid response to current political events and figures, providing immediate satire. "Absalom and Achitophel" addressed historical events and figures of its time, which were relevant then but not as directly relatable to a modern audience.

4. Humor Style: 

"Absalom and Achitophel" employs a more poetic and formal style of satire, whereas SNL uses humor techniques such as parody, impersonation, and slapstick comedy, catering to a more contemporary sense of humor.

5. Cultural Context: 

Both works reflect the political climate of their respective times. "Absalom and Achitophel" delves into the complexities of the English Monarchy in the late 17th century, while SNL satirizes the American political landscape, often with a focus on U.S. Presidents and government officials.

# CONCLUSION:-

Overall, while "Absalom and Achitophel" and contemporary political satire like SNL share the goal of critiquing political figures and events, they differ in their medium, audience reach, timing, humor style, and cultural context, reflecting the evolving nature of political satire over time.

Thank you for reading... 

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