LiteratureWork

Unlike the satire of today, Dryden’s satire follows strict rules of meter, rhyme, and form as seen in “Mac Fleknoe.” Considering that he greatly admires the likes of Ben Jonson and Shakespeare, it shouldn’t be surprise that his work is replete with subtle wit. Perhaps it is because the target of “Mac Fleknoe” is also a poet that doubles Dryden’s efforts in not only writing a piece that is poetically sound but that the piece be better than any work published by Shadwell. If the piece were to fail in the latter sense, it would be a self-defeat. By likening Shadwell to an heir of a dunderheaded throne, Dryden uses the loftiness of that position of power and inverses it’s significance. The audience of that time, having grown up with Jonson’s, Fletcher’s, Beaumont’s and Shakespeare’s plays, likely favored wit above all adornments and so Dryden’s satirical style was likely very appealing to them. Satire nowadays can be found in the form of political cartoons and sketches in comedy shows

I had never considered the parallels between the Enlightenment period and the 21st century and so I'm quite excited to see what direction the class will take in this endeavor. The phrase, "History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes" comes to mind. This also makes me wonder if there are recurring periods of time throughout history in which the zeitgeist is very similar to previous points in time yet the costume and technologies serve as facade to trick the observer into thinking that his period in time is unique while unknowingly repeating the same thought men before and after him will have. The topic that draws my interest the most is politics and its waltz with literature. Having read Voltaire and Swift recently, I find that irony and satire are effective tools in showing the innate imperfections of government and relegating it to the level of men. By reminding men that government is a product of himself, this opens an easier path to holding the government accountable