Wooden Desk

Alexander Pope

Alexander pope is one of the 18th century’s most notable satirists and poets. He is one of the most quoted English language authors and is considered a scathing satirist. Having been born of a catholic family, Pope’s religious affiliation is a factor that caused the renowned English author trouble. Pope was responsible from a young age and taught himself using classic Roman and Greek works. He also read epics from Homer and Virgil as well as satires from Horace. Epic and satire were eventually the two styles that popped up in Alexander Pope’s own work.

Alexander Pope’s life was characterized by trauma since he was of young age. He came down with Pott’s disease which is commonly referred to as tuberculosis. This condition led to lifelong complications including abdominal pains, breathing complications and a hunchback. His height, which never went past 4 feet 6 inches has had critics suggesting that his never ending turmoil, which could be attributed to his religious affiliation and sickness as well as the inability to grow had a huge part to play in the author’s satirical prowess. The author is celebrated as one of the first authors who monetized their talent, a factor that many people struggled to do.

Pope’s major works show off most of his important traits. The seasonally themed poems, the pastorals, are a portrayal of his love for classics. They are written in the heroic couplets style, and Pope is one of the key practitioners of the style. His most important works, “An Essay on Criticism”, lays out what could be referred to as the philosophy of writing. This work is one of the author’s writings that take on important questions that people still debate. Pope’s belief was that poets are made not born and that best poetry originates form the artful imitation of classical examples.

Pope, as earlier mentioned, is quoted a lot, and some of his writings, which are witty and perfectly stated have kept him popular to date. His drawing from classical sources and especially the Virgil makes his work great pieces, conflating his titles to make rather emotional and huge epic poems. Even with his struggles, Pope managed to have financial success, which is no small feat even in today’s world.