Mock Epic

??? a parody of the traditional epic or heroic form ??? The mock epic saw its heyday in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Among the most famous examples are Samuel Butler's Hudibras, John Dryden's Mac Flecknoe and Absalom and Achitophel, and Alexander Pope's Dunciad. These lines from Mac Flecknoe will give an idea of the combination of epic theme and language with low matter: Dryden portrays an incompetent poet, Flecknoe, looking for a successor to whom he can pass the crown of stupidity.

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From the Guide to Literary Terms by Jack Lynch.
Please send comments to Jack Lynch.

Note: This guide is still in the early stages of development.
Three question marks mean I have to write more on the subject. Bear with me.