Welcome back after the winter break!
This week we picked up our journey from the Restoration period and read the introductory part of John Dryden's "MacFlecknoe". Satire is a predominant feature of Restoration literature, and in this case Dryden used the mock-heroic poetic form to criticise a personal enemy, Thomas Shadwell. We no longer see the metaphorical flourishes of Shakespeare that appealed to our hearts; instead, we have elevated language that drives the subject of the satire into the ground. We laugh because it appeals to our intelligences.
What were your favourite expressions from the extract we read?
Tuesday 24 February 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)