Absalom and Achitophel

Absalom and Achitophel is a landmark poetic political satire by John Dryden. The poem exists in two parts. The first part, of 1681, is undoubtedly by Dryden. The second part, of 1682, was written by another hand, most likely Nahum Tate. The poem is an allegory that uses the story of the rebellion of Absalom against King David as the basis for discussion of the background to the Monmouth Rebellion (1685), the Meal-tub Plot (1679) and the Exclusion Crisis. Dryden's skill at walking a fine line between praise and condemnation of h ...

Read more here: » Absalom and Achitophel: Encyclopedia - Absalom and Achitophel

Absalom or Avshalom (אַבְשָׁלוֹם "Father/Leader of/is peace", Standard Hebrew Avšalom, Tiberian Hebrew ʾAḇšālôm), in the Bible, is the third son of David, king of Israel. He was deemed the handsomest man in the kingdom. His sister Tamar had been raped by David's eldest son, Amnon, who was in love with her. Absalom, after waiting two years, revenged by sending his servants to murder Amnon at a feast to which he had invited all the king's sons (2 Samuel 13): "18. And she had ...

Read more here: » Absalom: Encyclopedia - Absalom

Zimri ("praiseworthy"), was king of Israel for seven days. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 876 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the date 885 BC. His story is told in 1 Kings, Chapter 16. He was a chariot commander who murdered king Elah at Tirzah, and succeeded him as king. However, Zimri reigned only seven days, because the army elected Omri as king, and with their support laid siege to Tirzah. Finding his position untenable, Zimri set fire to the palace and perished. Omri became king only after four years of fierce war with Tibn ...

Read more here: » Zimri: Encyclopedia - Zimri

Ahitophel - "brother of insipidity or impiety", a man greatly renowned for his sagacity, and a counselor of King David. At the time of Absalom's revolt he deserted David (Psalm. 41:9; 55:12-14) and espoused the cause of Absalom (2 Samuel 15:12). David sent his old friend Hushai back to Absalom, in order that he might counteract the counsel of Ahitophel (2 Sam. 15:31-37). This end was so far gained that Ahitophel saw he had no longer any influence, and accordingly he at once left the camp of Ab ...

Read more here: » Ahitophel: Encyclopedia - Ahitophel

The Restoration was an age of poetry. Not only was poetry the most popular form of literature, but it was also the most significant form of literature, as poems affected political events and immediately reflected the times. It was, to its own people, an age dominated only by the king, and not by any single genius. Throughout the period, the lyric, ariel, historical, and epic poem was being developed. ...

See also:

Restoration literature, Restoration literature - Historical context, Restoration literature - The Restoration and its initial reaction, Restoration literature - Top-down history, Restoration literature - Poetry, Restoration literature - The English epic, Restoration literature - Lyric poetry pastoral poetry ariel verse and odes, Restoration literature - Other poets translations controversialists etc., Restoration literature - Prose genres, Restoration literature - Philosophical writing, Restoration literature - Religious writing, Restoration literature - Journalism, Restoration literature - Fiction, Restoration literature - Subliterary genres and writers, Restoration literature - Drama, Restoration literature - Context, Restoration literature - Serious drama, Restoration literature - Comedy

Read more here: » Restoration literature: Encyclopedia II - Restoration literature - Poetry

After the Restoration Dryden quickly established himself as the leading poet and literary critic of his day and he transferred his allegiances to the new government. Along with Astraea Redux, Dryden welcomed the new regime with two more panegyrics; To His Sacred Majesty: A Panegyric on his Coronation (1662), and To My Lord Chancellor (1662). These poems suggest that Dryden was looking to court a possible patron, but he was to instead make a living in writing for publishers not for the aristocracy, and thus ultimately for ...

See also:

John Dryden, John Dryden - Early Life, John Dryden - Later Life and Career, John Dryden - Major works, John Dryden - Select Bibliography

Read more here: » John Dryden: Encyclopedia II - John Dryden - Later Life and Career

Prose in the Restoration period is dominated by Christian religious writing, but the Restoration also saw the beginnings of two genres that would dominate later periods: fiction and journalism. Religious writing often strayed into political and economic writing, just as political and economic writing implied or directly addressed religion. Restoration literature - Philosophical writing. The Restoration saw the publication of a number of significant pieces of political and philosophical writing that had bee ...

See also:

Restoration literature, Restoration literature - Historical context, Restoration literature - The Restoration and its initial reaction, Restoration literature - Top-down history, Restoration literature - Poetry, Restoration literature - The English epic, Restoration literature - Lyric poetry pastoral poetry ariel verse and odes, Restoration literature - Other poets translations controversialists etc., Restoration literature - Prose genres, Restoration literature - Philosophical writing, Restoration literature - Religious writing, Restoration literature - Journalism, Restoration literature - Fiction, Restoration literature - Subliterary genres and writers, Restoration literature - Drama, Restoration literature - Context, Restoration literature - Serious drama, Restoration literature - Comedy

Read more here: » Restoration literature: Encyclopedia II - Restoration literature - Prose genres

During the Interregnum, England had been dominated by Puritan literature and the intermittent presence of official censorship (see, for example, Milton's Areopagitica and his later retraction of that statement). While some of the Puritan ministers of Oliver Cromwell wrote poetry that was elaborate and carnal (e.g. Andrew Marvell's "Mower" poems and To His Coy Mistress), such poetry was not published. Similarly, some of the poets who published with the Restoration produced their poetry during the Interregnum. However, the offici ...

See also:

Restoration literature, Restoration literature - Historical context, Restoration literature - The Restoration and its initial reaction, Restoration literature - Top-down history, Restoration literature - Poetry, Restoration literature - The English epic, Restoration literature - Lyric poetry pastoral poetry ariel verse and odes, Restoration literature - Other poets translations controversialists etc., Restoration literature - Prose genres, Restoration literature - Philosophical writing, Restoration literature - Religious writing, Restoration literature - Journalism, Restoration literature - Fiction, Restoration literature - Subliterary genres and writers, Restoration literature - Drama, Restoration literature - Context, Restoration literature - Serious drama, Restoration literature - Comedy

Read more here: » Restoration literature: Encyclopedia II - Restoration literature - Historical context

Dryden was born in the village rectory of Aldwinkle near Oundle in Northamptonshire, where his maternal grandfather was Rector of All Saints. He was the eldest of fourteen children born to Erasmus and Mary Dryden, Puritan landowning gentry who supported the Puritan cause and Parliament. As a boy Dryden lived in the nearby village of Titchmarsh where it is also likely that he received his first education. In 1644 he was sent to Westminster School as a King’s Scholar where his headmaster was Dr Richard Busby, a charismatic teacher and severe ...

See also:

John Dryden, John Dryden - Early Life, John Dryden - Later Life and Career, John Dryden - Major works, John Dryden - Select Bibliography

Read more here: » John Dryden: Encyclopedia II - John Dryden - Early Life