Alexander Pope

Alexander Pope1688 LONDON-1744 TWICKENHAM

POET // SATIRIST // TRANSLATOR

EARLY LIFE

FAMILY LIMITED EDUCATION ILLNESS

EARLY CAREER

WINDSOR FOREST

THE SCRIBLERUS CLUB FRIENDS

LATER CAREER

POLITICS PEAK OF CAREER DEATH

THE BEGINNINGODE ON SOLITUDE (1700)

PASTORALS (1709)

WINDSOR FOREST (1713)

THE ‘BEST’ESSAY ON CRITICISM (1711)

THE RAPE OF THE LOCK (1712)

THE DUNCIAD (1728)

THE LATER WORKS

ESSAY ON MAN (1733)

TRANSLATION OF THE ILIAD (1726)

EPISTLE TO DR ARBUTHNOT (1735)

Elegy to the Memory of an Unfortunate Lady

1 What beck'ning ghost, along the moon-light shade 2 Invites my steps, and points to yonder glade? 3 'Tis she!--but why that bleeding bosom gor'd,

4 Why dimly gleams the visionary sword? 5 Oh ever beauteous, ever friendly! tell,

6 Is it, in heav'n, a crime to love too well? 7 To bear too tender, or too firm a heart,

8 To act a lover's or a Roman's part? 9 Is there no bright reversion in the sky,

10 For those who greatly think, or bravely die?

VOICE OF NARRATOR

ALLUSION

1 What beck'ning ghost, along the moon-light shade 2 Invites my steps, and points to yonder glade? 3 'Tis she!--but why that bleeding bosom gor'd,

4 Why dimly gleams the visionary sword? 5 Oh ever beauteous, ever friendly! tell,

6 Is it, in heav'n, a crime to love too well? 7 To bear too tender, or too firm a heart,

8 To act a lover's or a Roman's part? 9 Is there no bright reversion in the sky,

10 For those who greatly think, or bravely die?

1 What beck'ning ghost, along the moon-light shade 2 Invites my steps, and points to yonder glade? 3 'Tis she!--but why that bleeding bosom gor'd,

4 Why dimly gleams the visionary sword? 5 Oh ever beauteous, ever friendly! tell,

6 Is it, in heav'n, a crime to love too well? 7 To bear too tender, or too firm a heart,

8 To act a lover's or a Roman's part? 9 Is there no bright reversion in the sky,

10 For those who greatly think, or bravely die?

RHYTHM & STRUCTURE

DISCUSSION Q’S

WHAT MIGHT BE THE IMPLICATIONS OF USING A CERTAIN MODel OF RHYMING,

ETC. THROUGHOUT A POEM?

11 Why bade ye else, ye pow'rs! her soul aspire 12 Above the vulgar flight of low desire?

13 Ambition first sprung from your blest abodes; 14 The glorious fault of angels and of gods; 15 Thence to their images on earth it flows,

16 And in the breasts of kings and heroes glows. 17 Most souls, 'tis true, but peep out once an age,

18 Dull sullen pris'ners in the body's cage: 19 Dim lights of life, that burn a length of years 20 Useless, unseen, as lamps in sepulchres; 21 Like eastern kings a lazy state they keep,

22 And close confin'd to their own palace, sleep.

11 Why bade ye else, ye pow'rs! her soul aspire 12 Above the vulgar flight of low desire?

13 Ambition first sprung from your blest abodes; 14 The glorious fault of angels and of gods; 15 Thence to their images on earth it flows,

16 And in the breasts of kings and heroes glows. 17 Most souls, 'tis true, but peep out once an age,

18 Dull sullen pris'ners in the body's cage: 19 Dim lights of life, that burn a length of years 20 Useless, unseen, as lamps in sepulchres; 21 Like eastern kings a lazy state they keep,

22 And close confin'd to their own palace, sleep.

TONE THEME: TRIUMPH SYNTAX

69 So peaceful rests, without a stone, a name, 70 What once had beauty, titles, wealth, and fame. 71 How lov'd, how honour'd once, avails thee not,

72 To whom related, or by whom begot; 73 A heap of dust alone remains of thee,

74 'Tis all thou art, and all the proud shall be!

PolysyndetonCONTRAST

69 So peaceful rests, without a stone, a name, 70 What once had beauty, titles, wealth, and fame. 71 How lov'd, how honour'd once, avails thee not,

72 To whom related, or by whom begot; 73 A heap of dust alone remains of thee,

74 'Tis all thou art, and all the proud shall be!

THEME: MUSINGS ON LIFE AND DEATH

75 Poets themselves must fall, like those they sung, 76 Deaf the prais'd ear, and mute the tuneful tongue. 77 Ev'n he, whose soul now melts in mournful lays,

78 Shall shortly want the gen'rous tear he pays; 79 Then from his closing eyes thy form shall part,

80 And the last pang shall tear thee from his heart, 81 Life's idle business at one gasp be o'er,

82 The Muse forgot, and thou belov'd no more!

75 Poets themselves must fall, like those they sung, 76 Deaf the prais'd ear, and mute the tuneful tongue. 77 Ev'n he, whose soul now melts in mournful lays,

78 Shall shortly want the gen'rous tear he pays; 79 Then from his closing eyes thy form shall part,

80 And the last pang shall tear thee from his heart, 81 Life's idle business at one gasp be o'er,

82 The Muse forgot, and thou belov'd no more!IMAGERY

THEME: THE VULNERABILITY OF LIFE

DISCUSSION Q’S

What makes this poem and its meaning so universal?

LITERARY THEORIESFORMALIST THEORY

- Literary devices, structure, rhythm all used in culmination

ARCHETYPAL THEORY- references to gods, heroes, life philosophy, etc.

DISCUSSION Q’S

What do you find poetically or philosophically interesting

about the poem?

DISCUSSION Q’S

WHY DO YOU THINK ALEXANDER POPE WROTE THIS POEM DESPITE HIS

REPUTATION AS A SATIRIST?