Original artwork, not a still
Absalom and Achitophel · 1681
A man so various, that he seem'd to be Not one, but all mankind's epitome; Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong, Was everything by starts, and nothing long; But in the course of one revolving moon Was chymist, fiddler, statesman, and buffoon.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The poet sketches a man so changeable that he seems a sample of all humanity. He clings to opinions yet is always mistaken, chasing each enthusiasm briefly, and in a single month he can act as scientist, musician, politician and clown. The portrait is mocking and shrewd.
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