short Note: Zimri

 

Short Note:

Zimri

The poem is an allegorical, mock heroic epic and also a political satire. The poem was written during a time of political turmoil. In the poem the character of Zimri is based on Duke of Buckingham. Although the poem is based on political event there is also a personal attack. And Dryden had highly ridiculed Zimri or else Duke of Buckingham’s character. He was a poet, dramatist and also a politician. Though he had a brilliant mind he was inconsistent, extravagant and wasteful. In the above extract with his dramatic language the poet criticizes the character of Zimri though it sounds like praise. Here the poet presents different aspects of his life for example his occupations, life style, his reactions, likes, dislikes, his attitudes towards people and the way he spends money. Thus Zimri can be described as a fickle, inconsistent, excessive, irrational, irresponsible and profligate. The poet ironically points out all the positive aspects of his character by describing him with a sense of positivity. The poet has used an effective sense of balance. “Was chemist, fiddler, statesman and buffoon:” These can be quite exaggerative but at the same time it shows the extremities of Zimri. This extract from Absalom and Achitophel brings the theme of a man must be rational and be guided by reason as they have a greater social and moral responsibility towards others in the society. At the same time the extract brings the idea that public figures are guided by reason, as they have greater social and moral responsibility towards others in the society.           

 The portrait of Absalom contains characteristic features of the neoclassical era, such as simplicity, clarity, order, good sense and decorum. The portrait appears to present the character in a simple narrative/ discursive manner. But it contains beneath this surface a very strong tone of irony with humour. Each couplet presents a self contained idea or a description that helps to create Zimri as an excessive, irrational and irresponsible man. The restraint in the poetry lies in the control of the irony, what Dryden calls in his preface to the poem “sweetness in good verse, which Tickles even while it hurts” the clarity of the portrait lies in the presentation of those features without ornamentation which bring out the irony.