A poem that plays with the conventions of the epic to comment on a topic satirically. In “Mac Flecknoe,” John Dryden wittily flaunts his mastery of the epic genre to cut down a literary rival. Alexander Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock” recasts a petty high-society scandal as a mythological battle for the virtue of an innocent.
Glossary of Poetic Terms
Looking to Learn More About Poetry?
Check out our Education area, where we have separate offerings for children, teens, adults, and educators.