During the Enlightenment, a type of literature that we haven't seen before becomes popular: the mock-heroic and the mock-epic.  These types had been around for centuries, dating back to the 7^th century b.c. - The Battle of Mice and Frogs, attributed to Homer.

The mock-heroic poem & mock-epic follow the conventions of their counterparts, but in a satiric, humorous way.  The humor comes from the way that the elevated style contrasts with the definitely unheroic subect matter.

The "hero" of this mock heroic poem is Thomas Shadwell, who deemed himself to be the heir of the great Ben Johnson.  Dryden instead proclaims him to be the son and heir of Richard Flecknoe, a no-talent hack who had died in 1678.  "Mac" means "son of."

Dryden abbreviates the name Thomas Shadwell with "Sh---".  Such abbreviations were popular - Shadwell couldn't "prove" the poem was about him.  What made this abbreviation even better was that it also stood for "shit."

Dryden and Shadwell had carried on a public dispute for years over the quality of Johnson's plays, which Shadwell liked better than Dryden did.  Dryden wrote this poem to ridicule Shadwell.

In the poem, Flecknoe is passing on his talent of dullness and stupidity to Shadwell, his supposed son.

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Remember the Augustan age of Rome is very popular now.

What alley is that again?

a pile of what?

old books by old poets are used by some to put their pies and cakes on and are also used for toilet paper.  The fate of many Sears & Roebuck's catalogues over the years.

Like Hannibal during the Punic Wars of the second century b.c., Shadwell is a sworn enemy of Rome.  In Shadwell's case, he was a Protestant & opposed the Roman Catholic Church & its "papistry."

Shadwell makes no sense & is boring.

He mocks Shadwell's fatness.  A thimble of wit in a ton of fat.

reference to metaphysical poets: Herbert had written "Easter Wings" and a series of plays called "the Altar."  The metaphysical poets with their strong lines & elaborate conceits would "torture one poor word ten thousand ways."

The father Flecknoe doesn't get to finish his speech because of the trapdoor that they use to get rid of him.  The mantle a reference to Elijah & Elisha.  As Elijah rode into heaven on the chariot, his mantle fell on Elisha to indicate that Elisha would carry on his ministry.  So it is here.