Alexander Pope Essay Alexander Pope Essay

1. Alexander Pope Essay
Alexander Pope
The differences between eighteenth–century literature and romantic poems, with respect to history is
constituted here. This is seen through the influential works of John Keats and Alexander Pope.
These works are acknowledged as, "The Rape of Lock" and "The Eve of St.
Agnes." Alexander Pope takes his readers on a hatred filled epic. A robust piece of literature
and love induced psychoses in, "The Rape of Lock." On the other hand, "The Eve
of
St. Agnes" told a tale of life, love, death, and eternal fate in heaven. These two brilliant writers
have given two magnificent poems. Pope exhibits many characteristics of a narcissistic human being.
His...show more content...
He complicates this with, "Moral superiority" and his visions of old styles blended
with his attitude for recognition. Pope has indulged the reader in consistent religious order, and
awkward justice for mankind. However, when viewing Keats poem stanza by stanza, much is
revealed. Keats' tale starts as a direct eagerness for future considerations. His image of love and old
age creates a stifled knot in the stomach of the reader. Enthusiastic resistance is overcome by Keats
smooth flow, and harmonizing beauty in heaven. Angels and death are brought together like
osmosis. His ability to start off in a cold bitter atmosphere of regret, and then sway the reader's
emotion to a peaceful loving atmosphere is in itself astonishing. Desire brings Keats to the
heightened point of emotional gratification within, "The Eve of St. Agnes." St.
Agnes is such a peaceful age–old memory for Keats. He presents strength when pain is being
inflicted. His early images of purgatory, show Keats in a bind of human emotion and regret for
past sins. However, Pope does this as well throughout, "The Rape of Lock." Although,
Pope is less likely to find a happy medium in his tale of tolerance. He does manage to relinquish all
his desires for the sake of his own inner strength. This strength is portrayed more intensely through
his soul. Memories are key to the
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2. Alexander Pope Essay
The Rape of the Lock
Context
Alexander Pope was born in London in 1688. As a Roman Catholic living during a time of
Protestant consolidation in England, he was largely excluded from the university system and from
political life, and suffered certain social and economic disadvantages because of his religion as well.
He was self–taught to a great extent, and was an assiduous scholar from a very early age. He
learned several languages on his own, and his early verses were often imitations of poets he admired.
His obvious talent found encouragement from his father, a linen–draper, as well as from
literary–minded friends. At the age of twelve, Pope contracted a form of tuberculosis that settled in
his spine, leaving him stunted and...show more content...
After the publication of The Rape of the Lock, Pope spent many years translating the works of
Homer. During the ten years he devoted to this arduous project, he produced very few new poems
of his own but refined his taste in literature (and his moral, social, and political opinions) to an
incredible degree. When he later recommenced to write original poetry, Pope struck a more serious
tone than the one he gave to The Rape of the Lock. These later poems are more severe in their
moral judgments and more acid in their satire: Pope's Essay on Man is a philosophical poem on
metaphysics, ethics, and human nature, while in the Dunciad Pope writes a scathing exposГ© of the
bad writers and pseudo–intellectuals of his day.
Characters
Belinda – Belinda is based on the historical Arabella Fermor, a member of Pope's circle of
prominent Roman Catholics. Robert, Lord Petre (the Baron in the poem) had precipitated a rift
between their two families by snipping off a lock of her hair.
The Baron – This is the pseudonym for the historical Robert, Lord Petre, the young gentleman in
Pope's social circle who offended Arabella Fermor and her family by cutting off a lock of her hair. In
the poem's version of events, Arabella is known as Belinda.
Caryl – The historical basis for the Caryl character is John Caryll, a friend of Pope and of the two
families that had become
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