An Essay on Man
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"An Essay on Man" is a poem written by Alexander Pope in 1734. It is a rationalistic effort to use philosophy in order to, as John Milton attempted, justify the ways of God to man. More than any other work, it popularized optimistic philosophy throughout England and the rest of Europe.
The essay is composed of four epistles. Pope began work on it in 1729, and had finished the first three by 1731. However, they did not appear until early 1733, with the fourth epistle published the following year. The poem was originally published anonymously. Pope did not admit to its authorship until 1735.
Pope reveals in his introductory statement, "The Design," that Essay on Man was originally conceived as part of a longer philosophical poem, with four separate books. What we have today would comprise the first book. The second was to be a set of epistles on human reason, human arts, and sciences, human talent, and the use of learning, science and wit "together with a satire against the misapplications of them." The third book would discuss the Science of Politics, and the fourth book would concern "private ethics" or "practical morality."
References
- [Selected Poetry of Alexander Pope], [Representative Poetry Online], hosted by University of Toronto Libraries
External links
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