Showing results by author "Alexander Pope" in All Categories

This very clever and highly-polished epistle to Dr Arbuthnot (also entitled the "Prologue to the Satires"), who was suffering from terminal illness, dates from 1734. Arbuthnot, from his deathbed, solemnly advised Pope to moderate his satire and expressed fear about the poet's personal safety from his numerous foes. Pope replied in a manly but self-defensive style. He is said at this time to have in his walks carried arms, and taken a large dog as a protector, but none of the purported enemies ever had the courage to attack him.

An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope is a philosophical poem exploring human nature, the universe, and man's place within it. Written in heroic couplets, it seeks to justify the ways of God to man, emphasizing that humans must accept their limited knowledge and trust in divine order. Pope argues that pride leads people to question God’s plan, but everything in creation has a purpose. He discusses the interconnectedness of all beings and the importance of virtue and humility. The poem promotes a balanced, rational approach to life, urging people to accept their fate and strive for moral ...

This short poem, first published in 1717, became one of Pope's best-known verse works. The actual history of the lady appears to have been intentionally concealed by the poet under a mysterious veil. Dr. Johnson offers the following details, based on the content of the poem: that the lady was distinguished by her rank, fortune, and beauty; that she was committed to the care of an uncle who was being crossed in her affections by her guardian, who opposed her marriage.

Although most of Windsor Forest was written as early as 1704, it was not published until 1713. The poem was completed after the promulgation of the first peace treaty of Utrecht, which is alluded to in terms of approbation in the body of the poem:

The Romantic Epistle was published in 1717 and aroused considerable interest because of its mildly suggestive content. It portrays an incident in which Héloïse d'Argenteuil, now immured in a convent chances on a letter from her former lover and later, husband, the brilliant philosopher Peter Abelard.