Write an essay on Pope as a satirist.

Ans.

Occupying a Great Place as a Satirist

Pope is famous for his satires and is considered the representative poet of his age. Though he wrote didactic poems, steeped in moral aphorisms, yet his genius is most at home in satire. He excelled in the satirical composition. While satire is present more or less in nearly all Pope’s verse, there are certain compositions where it may be said to be present in the most conspicuous manner. As a satirist Pope is more an imitator of Horace than of Juvenal. Pope at the same time cherished a lofty claim for his satires, for he believed them to be an instrument of righteousness. The greatest virtue of Pope’s satire is his artifice. He remains completely unperturbed in the face of gravest provocations. Satire predominates in the works of Pope. Even a cursory glance at his poetry reveals that the major part of it consists of satire or is satiric in spirit. The Rape of the Lock, The Dunciad, Moral Essays, Satires and Epistles of Horace Imitated are the best of his satires.

The Principal causes Responsible for making Pope a Satirist

Pope’s physical deformity, continuous ill-health, morbid temperament, his ill treatment because of his being a Roman Catholic, his criticism as a poet and his dissatisfaction with his age made him a great castigator and critic of society. Most of the satires of Pope were the result of personal malice and enmity because in his personal life, he was a man of extremely suspicious and irritable temperament. The Dunciad in which he satirised a number of scholars of his time was principally the outcome of his personal enmities with persons who had attacked and denounced his character and poetic works.

Finally Pope himself was conscious of his power and capacity as a satirist, and he knew that he could shine out in this branch of poetic composition more than in any other branch.

The Main Characteristics of Pope’s Satire :

His Personal Satire: In The Dunciad and The Epistle of Arbuthnot, his satire is personal. His poem The Dunciad, is an elaborate and forceful satire on many of his contemporaries who had incurred his wrath by their criticism of his poetry or otherwise. Dennis, Cibber, Theobald, Bentley, and many others figure in this poem are the victims of Pope’s fierce assault. Pope harboured strong feelings of hostility because each one of them had found fault with him at one time or the other. Some of these men had attacked him for his humble birth. Some of them had pointed out faults in his writings and some of themed poked fun at his physical handicaps and deformities. In this poem, Pope took revenge upon all these men and especially upon Addison and Lord Hervey to whom he gives the names of Atticus and Sporus respectively.

Satire on the Fashionable World of Female Sex: The Rape of the Lock is a satire upon feminine frivolity. It is written in a strain of mockery against hoops and patches and their wearers. Often Pope’s tone is very harsh and he becomes merciless because under his courtesy there lurks contempt, and his smile bears resemblance to a sneer. Women in Pope’s opinion are all frivolous beings whose one genuine interest is in love-making: “Every woman is at heart a rake.” This view is implied in the more playful lines in The Rape of the Lock. Belinda becomes the butt of Pope’s satire exposing the petulancy and insincerity of the fashionable game of love.

Satire on the System of justice: The poet has also satirised the system of justice and the judges. At our in the afternoon, judges hurriedly sign the sentence so that they could have their dinner in time. This is their sense of responsibility:

“The hungry judges soon the sentence sign,

And wretches hang that jurymen may dine.”

(From The Rape of the Lock)

Satire on the Concept of Friendship: Even the concept of friendship has been attacked by Pope. Friends are hollow and fickle. In The Rape of the Lock, Belinda’s friend Thalestris is as shallow as the age in which she lives. As soon as the reputation of Belinda is gone, she does not like to be called her friend, because it will be a disgrace to be known as her friend henceforth.

His Bold Satire at Corruption in High Places : Pope had the courage to strike boldly at corruption in high places and these satires of Pope were impersonal in character and were inspired by a better ideal than his personal satires actuated by malice and animosity. He fell foul on those who indulged in corruption, rarely sparing addicts to vices and evils as could be found in the Grub Street. He was never afraid to:

“Bare the mean Heart that lurks beneath a star.”