Alexander Pope’s “Essay on Man” Summary
Words: 1904 1094Introduction Alexander Pope's "Essay on Man" (1733-1734) represents one of the most significant philosophical poems of the Enlightenment era, articulating complex theological and philosophical concepts through the medium of heroic couplets. Written during a period of intense intellectual debate regarding human nature, divine providence, and the universe's order, Pope's ambitious four-epistle poem attempts to "vindicate the ways of God to man" – echoing John Milton's similar endeavor in "Paradise Lost." The work emerges from the optimistic deism prevalent in the […]