What type of narrative poem does Dryden draw upon for “Mac Flecknoe”? What are its typical characteristics, and how does Dryden subvert those characteristics to suit his purpose?

John Dryden's "Mac Flecknoe" is an example of a mock-heroic narrative poem. This type of poem draws upon the conventions of epic poetry, typically characterized by grand, lofty language, a high-stakes plot involving heroic deeds, and the invocation of the supernatural or divine.

The typical characteristics of a mock-heroic narrative poem include:

1. Elevated language and grand style: This is used to describe trivial, mundane, or ridiculous subjects, creating a contrast that is often humorous or satirical.

2. Epic conventions: These include the invocation of a muse, epic similes, and descriptions of battles, which are used in a mock-heroic poem to describe trivial or ridiculous events.

3. Heroic characters: In a mock-heroic poem, the characters are often ordinary or ridiculous people, but they are described as if they were heroes in an epic poem.

Dryden subverts these characteristics in "Mac Flecknoe" to suit his purpose, which is to satirize a fellow poet, Thomas Shadwell. He uses the elevated language and grand style to describe Shadwell's lack of poetic talent, turning the epic convention of the coronation of a new king into the crowning of Shadwell as the king of dullness. The heroic deeds are replaced by Shadwell's mediocre writing, and the divine intervention is replaced by the intervention of the ghost of Flecknoe, the previous king of dullness.

In this way, Dryden uses the conventions of the mock-heroic narrative poem to create a satirical critique of Shadwell, subverting the grandeur and heroism of the epic form to highlight Shadwell's lack of these qualities.