Stylistic Aspects and Neo-Classical Elements in John Dryden's Mac Flecknoe
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25130/jaa.15.55.4.23Keywords:
Dryden, Stylistic Aspects, Neo-Classism, Elements, Mac FlecknoeAbstract
To read John Dryden's Mac Flecknoe one may get the impression that the poem has been written spontaneously or quickly. This impression comes from the fact that the poem is very clear in its language and consequently easy to understand. This easiness is misleading. What seems easy and simple at the service hides very hard work and a complex web of relationships at the bottom. The allusions represent an obstacle in front of one's full understanding of the poem. Therefore, the poem requires a literate reader to understand the poem since some historical, religious, and mythological allusions cannot be understood unless one has been acquainted with their meaning. Thus, the seeming easiness and simplicity hide a lot of difficulties and skillful work. Dryden had worked hard to conceal art with art. He used all his artistic skillfulness to hide the hard work and the great effort he had exerted in writing the poem. He used his mastery of the art of poetry to make the poem seem simple and easy in terms of tight construction and sound language, elegant diction, and the great ability which made him accurate and precise in his expressions. Here, the power of the poet's tools and the extent of his superiority appear . This study aims at showing Dryden's great effort in writing the poem despite the apparent simplicity, this can be seen through the poet's use of various stylistic aspects and his adherence to neoclassical elements.
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