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    Augustanism

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    Madiki Aineh
    Dryden's poem "Absalom and Achitophel" contains many features of Augustanism. It uses an Old Testament biblical story as an allegory for contemporary English politics surrounding King Charles II. Through satire, it criticizes Catholicism, political turmoil, and both Whig and Tory factions. It follows other Augustan literature in its use of the heroic couplet form and blending of heroic and satirical elements. Overall, the poem engages with the political and philosophical issues of its time through polished and effective satire, demonstrating Dryden's role as a prominent Augustan writer.

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    Augustanism

    Uploaded by

    Madiki Aineh
    26 views2 pages
    Dryden's poem "Absalom and Achitophel" contains many features of Augustanism. It uses an Old Testament biblical story as an allegory for contemporary English politics surrounding King Charles II. Through satire, it criticizes Catholicism, political turmoil, and both Whig and Tory factions. It follows other Augustan literature in its use of the heroic couplet form and blending of heroic and satirical elements. Overall, the poem engages with the political and philosophical issues of its time through polished and effective satire, demonstrating Dryden's role as a prominent Augustan writer.

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    Dryden's poem "Absalom and Achitophel" contains many features of Augustanism. It uses an Old Testament biblical story as an allegory for contemporary English politics surrounding King Charles II. Through satire, it criticizes Catholicism, political turmoil, and both Whig and Tory factions. It follows other Augustan literature in its use of the heroic couplet form and blending of heroic and satirical elements. Overall, the poem engages with the political and philosophical issues of its time through polished and effective satire, demonstrating Dryden's role as a prominent Augustan writer.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    26 views2 pages

    Augustanism

    Uploaded by

    Madiki Aineh
    Dryden's poem "Absalom and Achitophel" contains many features of Augustanism. It uses an Old Testament biblical story as an allegory for contemporary English politics surrounding King Charles II. Through satire, it criticizes Catholicism, political turmoil, and both Whig and Tory factions. It follows other Augustan literature in its use of the heroic couplet form and blending of heroic and satirical elements. Overall, the poem engages with the political and philosophical issues of its time through polished and effective satire, demonstrating Dryden's role as a prominent Augustan writer.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    A.

    Vanlaldiki

    Ms. Manuella De Rosario

    MER220T

    1 February, 2023

    Begin identifying and exploring the features of Augustanism in Dryden’s poem.

    Dryden is one of the prominent figure of the English Augustan writers and like his

    contemporary writers, he was inspired by the classical poets which was reflected in his

    engagement of the political and philosophical idea of his day through satire. Consequently,

    certain features of Augustanism is evident in his works and his most famous poem, Absalom

    and Achitophel (1681) contains several brilliant satiric portraits.

    Absalom and Achitophel is about the biblical rebellion of Absalom against King

    David in the Old Testament. The plot and character of the story is used as an allegory to

    portray the then contemporary situation that concerns King Charles II. The purpose of the

    poem seem likely to be a praise to the king and followers and simultaneously satirizing his

    adversaries.

    The Augustan age is known for the great efflorescence of the spirit of satire which

    was to reign supreme for decades thereafter. Hence, among the few stylistic consistencies

    satire has almost always dominated the contemporary literature. Likewise, in this poem

    Dryden satirizes and demonstrates a critique of Catholicism through the mockery of

    transubstantiation which criticizes the Popish Plot(1678) and Monmouth Rebellion(1685)

    wherein the people, as Dryden refers to them, are “fickle’’ minded and unfaithful to either

    their religion or their monarch. The poem also offers a critique of the British Civil wars and

    the political turmoil that was created as a consequence of it. Dryden also employed an
    abusive and virulent type of satire which came from the rise of the two political parties-

    Whigs and Tories. However, despite being a Royalists, he manages to satirize all political

    factions involved during the restoration era. The poem is not merely to attack the king’s

    adversaries but to present the whole constitutional position in a certain way. While the King’s

    enemies are represented in an unfavourable light, the Royal Party is egoistically portrayed.

    Poetry of the Augustan literature was dominated by rhymed couplet, specifically the

    heroic couplet which Dryden employs in Absalom and Achitophel. It has a certain relation to

    heroic poetry which is represented in a Achitophel’s first speech to Absalom which begins

    with flattery and passes to artful temptation to betrayal to his father, this very encounter

    making Absalom as grand as a heroic character. Like the Royal Party, Shaftesbury and his

    followers are introduced as characters in a heroic poem. At several points or parallel is

    suggested between Shaftesbury’s temptation of Monmouth and the fall of man with Charles

    himself in the background as the representative of the Deity. He follows the lead of a hundred

    Tory preachers and pamphleteers in casting Shaftesbury as “Hell’s dire Agent”, the Satan of

    the plot. Absalom and Achitophel has characteristics which are largely akin to those of heroic

    poetry. It is because of this poetic quality that the poem owes its supremacy amongst the

    political satires in English language.

    The blending of the heroic basis with a witty satire gives the poem its characteristic

    tone. And Dryden engages the political and philosophical ideas of his contemporary English

    society with the use of satire which he made into a highly polished and effective weapon of

    offense, correction and even self-expression.

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