Write a note on the greatness of Pope as a poet.

Write a note on characteristics of Pope’s poetry..

Give a general estimate of Pope as a poet.

Ans.

Introduction

A Great Poet: Pope was a master in his own field of poetry. He was for a whole generation ‘the poet’ of a great nation. His influence completely dominated the poetry of his age, and many foreign writers, as well as the majority of English poets looked to him as their model. He had a remarkably clear and adequate reflection of the spirit of the age in which he lived. Dr. Johnson expressed the following view: “If Pope be not a poet, where is poetry to be found?” In other words, Dr. Johnson recognized Pope as a true poet. Showering lavish praises,

His Poetry, an Appeal to the Mind rather than to Heart : Pope’s poetry was of his age, and it reflected in full measure the spirit of the age. Due to being intellectual it appeals to the mind rather than to the heart. It is full of wit and epigram, the brilliancy of which is unsurpassed. Poetry in the classical school lacked inspiration and was devoid of true emotionalism which had characterized Elizabethan poetry. Intellect and reason took the place of emotional feelings. The lack of emotion in Pope’s poetry is compensated by intellectual clearness and neatness of expression. Pope’s poetry has the qualities of intellectualism, balance, grace and realism.

Pope’s Being the Foremost Classical Poet: In Pope, the true poetic ardour and energy is absent but he is exceedingly careful about the technique of form and style, Satire, didactic poetry and a filmy mock heroic poem are all his poetic achievements. They are mere products of intellect, and artificiality constructed. They do not reproduce true classical spirit. Hence, it is not correct to describe Pope as a true classicist. Consequently it is very appropriate to call Pope as a classic of the age of prose, because Pope in his poetry cultivated the qualities that go to make prose great. Pope introduced in his poetry the qualities of condensation, terseness, exactness correctness, precision and finish.

Pope as A Satirist : Among English satirists, Alexander Pope occupies a great position. As a satirist, he is a disciple of Dryden and Horace. Pope is more refined in his method of ridicule, more civilized and is craftsman of verse and portrait-drawing of a much high order. Pope was pre-eminently a satirist. Pope undeniably could write a wide variety of satires, personal invectives, lampoons, mock-epics, philosophical discourses and epistolary pieces. Though his later poems are completely satirical, yet his earlier works, The Essay on Criticism and The Rape of the Lock all alike bear witness to the satirical vein in his mind. The works where satire predominates are his satires among which are to be included The Prologue and The Epilogue as well as The Moral Essays and finally The Dunciad.

Morality and Practical Wisdom: The larger part of Pope’s work is of didactic and moral nature. Pope’s poetry has added many memorable lessons of morality and practical wisdom and has added more phrases to the English language than any other poet except Shakespeare:

(i) “A little learning is a dangerous thing.”

(ii) “To err is human, to forgive divine.”

Pope’s Essay on Criticism and his Essays on Man are series of detached precepts. Even his satirical poetry is didactic in its aim. The Rape of the Lock also has a moral lesson, both implicit and explicit.

A Poet of Intellect (Mental Quickness), Imagination and Conception: The subjects of poetry which he excelled in are of the satirical and mock heroic kind. He is the unchallenged master of artificial poetry which deals with artificial life and in this sphere. The Rape of the Lock stands unmatched. It shows a unique combination of his intellect and imagination.

The Supreme-Craftsman : Pope lacked inspiration, emotion, lofty sentiment, and the heroic soul. Inspite of his attempt to introduction some of these qualities in his Essay on Man, Pope could not achieve much success. His poetry lacked inspiration and ideality, imagination, and devotion and all that he wrote was about the fine society of his times. Pope gave expression to reasoned thought and intellectually sharp arguments. He made poetry a vehicle for satirical exposure of the foibles and the weaknesses of the female sex. He made poetry as an instrument for attacking his enemies. He proved to be the supreme representative of the classical school of English poetry.

A Representative Poet of His Age: Pope’s The Rape of the Lock is a mirror in a drawing room, but it gives back a faithful image of society. The Rape of the Lock does really mirror the men and women belonging to aristocratic families: their craze for fashion, sophistication, ludicrous code of morality; their vanity, meanness, treacheries, jealousies, superficialities and unending interest in flirtations and sexual intrigues. His Essay on Criticism admirably sums up the critical commonplaces of the time. His Essay on Man sums up the current ethical code. It not only throws light on the characters of the poetasters Grub street, but it also shows the decline of educational and literary standards, and the pedantry and corruption in high places.

His Poetic Diction: Matthew Arnold has called Pope a classic in prose because Pope’s poetic style has wit and sparkle, clarity and logic, but is wanting in that moving and transporting quality which is the hall mark of true poetry. In his poetry, everything is clear and transparent. The excellence of Pope’s style lies in the facility and aptness of expression. He has a clear thinking with regard to details and his quick mind grasps every aspect of the thing he describes. He uses words which are enriched by their association with his great predecessors-Dryden, Milton and Spenser. He is never conventional. There is charm of novelty in the aptness of his diction. He carefully revised his writings, and his alternations were always improvements. His style is faultless indeed, but his laborious correction has also taken away the easy, grace and spontaneity which we look for in great poetry.