Alexander_Pope.pptVIP

Alexander Pope (1688-1744) English essayist, verse satirist, and one of the greatest poets of Age of Reason. Writer’s Background Alexander Pope ,an English poet best known for his An Essay on Criticism ? The Dunciad, An Essay on Man and The Rape of the Lock. Born: 21th May 1688 London Died: 30th May 1744 (aged 56)Twickenham?(today?an?incorporated?areaof?London) Signature: Writer’s Background He was born into a well-to-do merchant family of Roman Catholic faith in London. Because of his constant sickness and the family religion, he was not able to go to university or hold any public office like many of his contemporaries. In 1711, Pope and his friends formed a club---Sriblerus Club which was to cooperate in a scheme to satirize all sorts of false learning and pedantry（迂腐）. Writer’s Background The real importance of the club is that it fostered a satiric temper which was to find expression in such works as Gulliver’s Travels and The Dunciad. Pope became renowned for his translations of Homer and for his bitting counterattacks on the criticism of his literary enemies. Pope represented the rationalistic neoclassical tendency(唯理主义的新古典的文艺运动) in literature and has often been called the spokesman in verse of the Age of Reason(理性时期诗歌方面的代言人）. Major Works An Essay on Criticism (1711) 《批评论》 The Rape of the Lock (first version 1712) 《夺发记》 The Dunciad (1728) 《群愚史诗》 An Essay on Man (1733-1734) 《人论》 Translated Homer’s Iliad (1720) and Odyssey (1726) and edited some of Shakespeare’s plays (1713-1726). Writer’s Background “ Intended for Sir Isaac Newton in Westerminster Abbey” “ Nature and Nature’s laws lay hid in Night. God said, let Newton be! And All was Light.” 自然和自然的法则隐藏在黑暗之中。 上帝说：让牛顿出世吧， 于是一切豁然开朗。 He believes God as the creator of the Universe but denies any supernatural elements in Christianity. He emphasizes the study of human world and rationalism. The Rape of the Lock(1712-1714 《夺发记》