Absalom & Achitophel

After discussing the poem in class, and getting some background information, I understand the poem alot better, than when I read it before class! I actually liked the poem, I think it's cleverly written, Dryden turned light on what was going on in that time, but disguised the poem and story by using the Story of David. It was mentioned in class on Wednesday that while reading this poem, you could relate it to today's economic and political times, what do you all think about that??

Proffessor Kilgore gave us a hand out in class, and it was a letter to the reader, and it was a basically an apology letter to the reader!! Once again, another writer, uses a piece of writing to make sure he does not affend anyone in the writing. But I think that its pretty ironic that he does this "apology" writing, because Proffessor told us that King Charles II, paid Dryden to write this poem, so it can be used as propoganda! I think most writers who writes "apologies", write them because they were afraid of offending the King and then the writer can be put in jail, or killed. But in this case, what was Dryden worried about, why would he write this writing making sure he did not affend anyone?? He already had the support of the King, he wasn't going to get into trouble!!

I can kind of see why, Absalom went against his father, David. For 1- I don't think Achitophel would have given up trying to get Absalom to be the leader of the rebellion...he wouldn't just take NO for an answer, he kept pushing! And 2nd- everything he was saying about David was true, it wasn't like he was making ANY of it up & after you keep hearing something after so many times, your going to start to agree with the person who is saying it! And thats exactly what he does, he relizes everything that his father has done & does. After he said he would lead the rebellion, he went out and got support. After the fighting was going on, David came out and said how he still loved Absalom and would just wait this whole thing out and be a patient man. Charless II was supposed to be represented by David in the story, which is kind of funny that at the end of the poem, David tells everyone that he will be, "the bigger man", in a sense! Which is what Charles II wanted people to see about him.