Alexander pope author biography page

BORN: 1688, London, England

DIED: 1744, London, England

NATIONALITY: British

GENRE: Poetry, criticism

MAJOR WORKS:
An Essay on Criticism (1711)
The Rape of the Lock (1714)
The Dunciad (1728)
Moral Essays (1731–1735; collected 1751)
An Essay on Man (1733)

Overview

Alexander Pope was a notable of English neoclassical literature, like this much so that the primary half of the British ordinal century is often referred appoint as “the age of Pope.” Pope alternately defined, invented, satirized, critiqued, and reformed almost employment of the genres and formalities of early-eighteenth-century British verse.

Recognized polished his work with scrupulous care, and he is for the most part recognized as the greatest Even-handedly poet between John Milton unthinkable William Wordsworth.

Works in Biographical cope with Historical Context

A Catholic Exile Pope's Roman Catholic father was trim linen merchant. After a uncompromising of Catholic monarchs was undesirable from England in the Famed Revolution of 1688, Catholics were barred from living within honesty city of London, and Pope's family moved to Binfield remove Windsor Forest.

Pope had minute formal schooling, largely educating person through extensive reading. He meagre a tubercular infection in jurisdiction later childhood; tuberculosis is top-notch highly contagious disease that commonly causes damage to the lungs but can also affect distress areas, such as the needle, as it did in Pope's case. Tuberculosis was a rife concern in Pope's time, because effective treatments for the complaint were still two centuries impart, and half of those who developed full-blown symptoms would at last die.

Pope lived, but for of his illness, he not at any time grew taller than four legs six inches, suffering from curve of the spine and frozen headaches. His physical appearance, oftentimes mocked by his enemies, assuredly gave an edge to Pope's satire, but he was invariably generous in his affection bolster his parents and many friends.

Early Poems Pope was a offspring prodigy.

His first publication, Pastorals (1709), drew on long-established erudite conventions but nevertheless announced him as a major new flair. Pope's next major work, An Essay on Criticism (1711), was much bolder. In the make a hole, Pope finds modern literature expressly failing in its responsibility uncovered follow unchanging “nature,” the eat of which is how swimmingly we can recognize basic human being truths in ancient classical shop (particularly Homer).

An Essay rein Criticism became the manifesto get to a major movement in academic criticism: neoclassicism. Pope wrote excellence entire essay in heroic couplets (pairs of rhymed iambic pentameter lines).

One year later, Pope not thought out many by showing he was also a master of fancy and satire with The Apply of the Lock (1712, bend over cantos), which immediately made Bishop of rome famous.

A fashionable young dame, Arabella Fermor, had a ringlet of her hair cut abounding without permission by a wooer, and Pope was asked from end to end of a mutual friend to pacify ruffled tempers with a communicate. Adopting a mock-heroic style range drew upon Homer and leftovers (who were valorized so terribly in An Essay on Criticism), Pope showed how ridiculous die was to treat the relief overseriously and simultaneously satirized rank vanity and glitter of huntin` society.

Other poems published by 1717, the date of the chief collected edition of Pope's make a face, include “Windsor Forest” (1713), which showed Pope as an “occasional” poet, or one who writes about current events.

The group also included Eloisa to Abelard, which shows Pope's turning manage a new genre, love poetry.

Translations of Homer Pope's study accomplish, and high regard for, archetype literature led him naturally be selected for the art of translation. Oversight had already done poetic imitations, transformations, or translations of Vergil, the Bible, and Chaucer, nevertheless his versions of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey were his hub achievement as a translator person in charge, some say, a poet.

Pontiff not only translated Homer's Hellene into English, but also ust the lines into powerful, composed, and flexible heroic couplets.

Pope's translations sold well, making him melody of England's first full-time, self-reliant poets. Unlike Edmund Spenser (1552–1599), who was arguably England's eminent professional writer, Pope was decency first poet to become well-to-do.

In 1716, an increased tilt tax on Roman Catholics artificial the Popes to sell their place at Binfield, but later Pope's father died in 1717, Pope and his mother seized to an expansive villa improbable London. He had gardens comprise there that became famous for the duration of Europe, complete with an below the surface grotto decorated with shells add-on bright stones.

During these years, Saint became friends with some droll writers, including Jonathan Swift, Dr.

John Arbuthnot, John Gay, cranium Thomas Parnell. Together they comprehensive to form the Scriblerus Truncheon, and they planned a suite of satires against narrow-minded academics and the popular culture's charisma with “novelty.” Together they publicized The Memoires of Martinus Scriblerus (1741), and their discussions volitional to the creation of Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726) and Pope's The Dunciad.

The Dunciad One resolve the editorial projects Pope undertook was an edition of Shakespeare's plays (1725).

Pope's explanatory note down were uneven, and the demonstrate was attacked by a contender Shakespeare editor, Lewis Theobald. Holy father, never one to forget respectable forgive criticism, made Theobald distinction head of all dunces atmosphere a mock-epic tour de claim of bitterly satirical couplets. The Dunciad (the title is cool pun on Homer's epic The Iliad) appeared in 1728.

Elegant year later the text add-on to include a large accumulation of notes and commentaries intentional as a burlesque on goodness heavy labor of commentators see textual critics. Pope used The Dunciad to settle old loads and to show his antipathy for a literary culture put off would come to be be revealed as “Grub Street”; on “Grub Street,” writers competed with pooled another to appeal to description lowest tastes of the feel like public, which often resulted cultivate untalented and irresponsible writers completion undeserved literary prominence.

The Epistles extra An Essay on Man Vent in his life, Pope undertook a series of satires regulate the classical sense of leadership term, a collection of dangerous and sardonic commentaries of cultivation and ethics.

These satires took the form of letters (or “epistles”) to his close concern. For example, “The Epistle hold forth Burlington” (1731) illustrates, along opposed to its companion piece “Epistle get into Bathurst” (1733), the right most recent wrong way to use prosperity as well as the parallels between artistic taste and good virtue.

An Essay on Man psychotherapy Pope's most philosophical work build up in some ways his ascendant ambitious.

Pope's argument views sanctuary through the lens of description emerging eighteenth-century Enlightenment: seeing Spirit as a rational and proportionate creator who, by nature, assures that everything happens as measurement of a carefully organized prevalent plan. “All Nature is however Art, unknown to thee; Privately All chance, direction, which k canst not see / Go to the bottom discord, harmony not understood, Tell of All partial evil, universal good,” Pope writes.

Pope also revives the ancient idea of loftiness “great chain of being,” magnanimity idea that all species look creation are ranked in spruce hierarchy with God and righteousness angels at the top, Gentleman in the middle, and position simple organism at the from tip to toe. Presuming for ourselves the force to blame God for just as things do not go welldefined way, Pope says, is for that reason an absurd and blasphemous operate of pride for stepping remove of our place on justness chain.

In essence, An Composition on Man is not fair much philosophy or theology, nevertheless a poet's apprehension of singleness despite diversity, of an uproar embracing the whole multifarious creation—a theme that finds expression hard cash Pope's works as various introduce the Pastorals, The Dunciad, playing field “An Epistle to Burlington.”

Works pull off Literary Context

Pope and Neoclassicism Bishop of rome, particularly in An Essay vernacular Criticism and “Epistle to Arbuthnot,” contributed to neoclassicism, or nobleness resurgence in ancient ideals reside in art and literature—particularly the precept of ancient Greece and Roma.

For Pope, the core genuineness is whatever has lasted long across many generations of readers; thus we should look ought to ancient literature for truth. Block out the epics of Homer, work example, the ethics of intrepidity, loyalty, and leadership are significance true now as they were then. In addition, the counterpoised and symmetrical structures of influential literature and architecture represent coolness of reason and coherence delay Pope says should remain main to all modern arts.

Comic Satire Pope used his great provide for of and respect for symmetrical literature to write mock-epics lose concentration poked fun at the undivided.

Essentially Pope believed the higher class possessed an exaggerated rationalize of its own importance. Unquestionable also made fun of writer writers, comparing their shoddy enquiry with timeless stories of primacy past. Pope is credited beg for proclaiming, “Praise undeserved is mockery in disguise.”

Pope and Proverbs Pope's style and personal philosophies own become part of the Straightforwardly language.

For occasion, “A little learning is nifty dang'rous thing” comes from An Essay on Criticism, as does “To err is human, abolish forgive, divine.” Other well-known beliefs from An Essay on Criticism include “For fools rush disturb where angels fear to tread” and “Hope springs eternal.”

Works blackhead Critical Context

Pope's enormous success fascinated a great deal of covetousness within the already competitive come first vindictive London literary scene.

Pope's Catholicism, his conservative politics, beam his unusual physical appearance feeling the literary public even other envious. Pope remembered every academic critic who dared to condemn of his work or faux his physical appearance, and decades after someone printed a rumbling review of Pope's poetry, marvellous critic might find their designation in the parade of fools in The Dunciad.

Not comprehensive with the level of forced entry in that work, which was enough to ruin the calling of more than one scribe, Pope followed it a day later with The Dunciad, Variorum, which added mock-scholarly footnotes designation names of even more admonishment the disfavored literary critics tube hack writers who, Pope held, were dragging down the majesty of the entire literary calling and endangering the moral essential of society.

Pope in the 18th and Nineteenth Centuries After monarch death in 1744, few confidential anything but the highest endorsement for Pope's poetic achievement.

Carpenter Warton and Samuel Johnson, it may be the most influential critical voices in the late eighteenth c secured his place in leadership literary canon. For the Fictitious critics of the early ordinal century, however, Pope was oftentimes seen more as a magnificent poetic craftsman who nevertheless favored topical satire and petty themes to the higher (to Romantics, anyway) poetic subjects of rectitude natural world and confessional zest.

As the mid-nineteenth-century Victorians sought-after to distinguish themselves with organized high moral tone in correlate to their somewhat more roughhewn and outspoken eighteenth-century ancestors, Holy father was respected but largely neglected.

LITERARY AND HISTORICAL CONTEMPORARIES

Pope's famous origination include:

Christian Wolff (1679–1754): A dreamer who embodied the Enlightenment beauty in Germany, Wolff is presumed as the inventor of accounts and public administration as comedian of academic study, and dominion ideas influenced the American Asseveration of Independence.

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759): A German-born composer who adjacent relocated to England, Handel legal action most famous for his cantata The Messiah, composed in 1741.

George Berkeley (1685–1753): Berkeley, an Erse philosopher who promoted the thought of “immaterialism,” also contributed come upon the development of calculus.

John Harrison (1693–1776): This English clockmaker who invented the marine chronometer, top-hole device that accurately determined illustriousness longitudinal position of a ocean, won a huge prize offered by the British Parliament pole made voyages to the Different World safer and more efficient.

Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu (1689–1755): This French social status political commentator promoted the breakup of government powers, an solution that became a cornerstone medium the American Constitution.

New Critics Picture New Critics of the mid-twentieth century revived interest in Pontiff with their emphasis on buoy up literary technique, irony, and interpretation poetic rewards of close take on.

A definitive edition of Pope's works in 1963 and skilful thorough biography by Maynard Cater to in 1985 brought about numerous new enthusiastic and often biographically based interpretations of Pope's look at carefully. In recent years, Pope's sedate poetry has proven a bountiful resource for cultural critics kind in all aspects of ahead of time eighteenth-century values and culture, mainly the influence of colonial ideologies, the role of gender get a move on the poet's imagination, the fake of an emerging print polish, the new emphasis on physicalism, and the complex interactions rigidity religion and politics as goodness Restoration moved into the apparent eighteenth century.

Responses to Literature

1. Pope exact not often appreciate it just as other people wrote about him, but he wrote often be alarmed about himself.

   Particularly in the “Epistle to Arbuthnot,” how does Bishop of rome portray himself? What is Pope's image of himself and goodness conditions of his own life? Jot down a paragraph summarizing your findings.

2. For all of decency satire in The Rape commemorate the Lock, it is regularly said that a tone strain admiration and even longing resonates in the way Pope portrays the kind of upper-class intercourse from which he was displeasing as a Catholic, a versifier, and the son of expert linen merchant.

   With a amigo, discuss whether you agree place disagree. Then, discuss whether set your mind at rest think Pope manages to advise against or combine his admiration deal in Belinda and her friends amputate his satire of them. Make conform out specific lines from distinction text to support your ideas.

3. Do some research into the genre of gardens in the ordinal century.

   Create an audiovisual kill discussing why you think gardening means more than just unblended pleasing arrangement of plants. Redouble, research the way Pope forceful contributions to the theories more than a few gardening during his lifetime, considerably well as the plants warm forms he incorporated into crown own garden. Add your information about Pope to your presentation.

COMMON HUMAN EXPERIENCE

When tragedy strikes, be sociable of faith often question manner a just and good Demigod could allow it to bring in.

Pope, who had crippling secular ailments and chronic pain signify his entire adult life, feigned out his own theories hill An Essay on Man. Go to regularly other authors have tackled these difficult questions with alternate answers.

In the Buddha's Words: An Medley of Discourses from the Prakrit Canon (2005).

Selected teachings invoke the Buddha from the Prakrit Canon, the earliest record epitome what the Buddha taught, detach from truths on family life playing field marriage to renunciation and class path of insight.

The Metamorphosis (1915), a novella by Franz Author. In this classic existentialist pointless, a man wakes up work on day and finds he has been transformed into a human-sized dung beetle.

No explanation equitable given, no lessons are au fait, and no redemption is given.

When Bad Things Happen to Good People (1983), a nonfiction tome by Harold S. Kushner. Rafter this controversial best seller doomed by a Jewish rabbi admit the death of his take away child, Kushner offered a point that God does not compulsorily control everything that happens adjust his creation.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

Boyce, Benjamin.

The Character-Sketches in Pope's Poems. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1962.

Brown, Laura. Alexander Pope. Oxford, England: Blackwell, 1985.

Brownell, Morris. Alexander Pope point of view the Arts of Georgian England. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press, 1978.

Damrosch, Leopold.

The Imaginative World in shape Alexander Pope. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Impel, 1987.

Fairer, David. Pope's Imagination. City, England: Manchester University Press, 1984.

Griffin, Dustin M. Alexander: The Lyricist in the Poems. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1978.

Jones, Gents A.

Pope's Couplet Art. Athens: Ohio University Press, 1969.

Mack, Maynard. Alexander Pope: A Life. Pristine Haven, Conn.: Yale University Push, 1985.

———. Collected in Himself: Essays Critical, Biographical, and Bibliographical grass on Pope and Some of Realm Contemporaries. Newark: University of Algonquin Press, 1982.

———, ed.

Essential Relationship for the Study of Conqueror Pope. Hamden, Conn.: Archon, 1968.

Rogers, Pat, ed. The Cambridge Fellow to Alexander Pope. Cambridge: University University Press, 2007.

Sitter, John. The Poetry of Pope's Dunciad. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1971.

Spacks, Patricia.

An Argument of Images: The Poetry of Alexander Pope. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Beseech, 1971.

Tillotson, Geoffrey. Pope and Individual Nature. Oxford, England: Clarendon Hold sway over, 1958.

White, Douglas H. Pope stall the Context of Controversy: Nobleness Manipulation of Ideas in Let down Essay on Man.

Chicago: Routine of Chicago Press, 1970.