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The Poetical Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 1

by Alexander Pope (1688–1744)

  • Free to read
  • 6 hours to read
  • 33 chapters
  • Reading level: 7th grade

"The Poetical Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 1" by Alexander Pope is a collection of poetry written in the early 18th century. This volume features poems that explore themes of love, nature, and human experience, accompanied by a memoir and critical analysis of Pope's work. The opening chapters provide insight into Pope's life, his struggles with health, and his literary beginnings, setting a contextual backdrop for the rich body of poetry that follows. At the start of this collection, the biography highlights Pope's early life, detailing his childhood as a sickly and deformed boy which shaped his character and poetic voice. It describes his precocious literary talent, from his first forays into verse at a young age to the influences of notable figures like Dryden and Addison. The narrative captures the formative experiences that cultivated his love for poetry, alongside the societal challenges he faced as a Catholic in a predominantly Protestant England. Overall, the opening serves as a foundation, illustrating how Pope's personal journey influenced his writing, while enticing readers to delve deeper into his poetic artistry.

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  • English poetry · 18th century

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Part I

Introduction.—That 'tis as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, and a more dangerous one to the public, ver. 1. That a true taste is as rare to be found as a true genius, ver. 9-18. That most men are born with some taste, but spoiled by false education, ver. 19-25. The multitude of critics, and causes of them, ver. 26-45. That we are to study our own taste, and know the limits of it, ver. 46-67. Nature the best guide of judgment, ver. 68-87. Improved by art and rules, which are but methodised nature, ver. 88. Rules derived from the practice of the ancient poets, ver. 88-110. That therefore the ancients are necessary to be studied by a critic, particularly Homer and Virgil, ver. 120-138. Of licences, and the use of them by the ancients, ver. 140-180. Reverence due to the ancients, and praise of them, ver. 181, &c.

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Contents

Show all 33 chapters
  1. Front Matter
  2. Preface.[2]
  3. Part I
  4. Part II
  5. Part III
  6. Part First
  7. Part Second
  8. Part Third
  9. Part Third
  10. I. Chaucer
  11. II. Spenser
  12. III. Waller
  13. IV. Cowley
  14. V. Earl of Rochester: On Silence.[61]
  15. VI. Earl of Dorset: Artemisia.[62]
  16. VII. Dr Swift
  17. I. On Charles Earl of Dorset, in the Church of Withyam, in Sussex: 'His saltem accumulem donis, et fungar inani Munere!'
  18. II. On Sir William Trumbull.[81]
  19. III. On the Hon. Simon Harcourt, Only Son of the Lord Chancellor: Harcourt, at the Church of Stanton Harcourt, in Oxfordshire, 1720
  20. IV. On James Craggs, Esq. In Westminster Abbey
  21. V. Intended for Mr Rowe, in Westminster Abbey
  22. VI. On Mrs Corbet, Who Died of a Cancer in Her Breast
  23. VII. On the Monument of the Honourable Egbert Digby, and His Sister: Mary
  24. VIII. On Sir Godfrey Kneller, in Westminster Abbey, 1723
  25. IX. On General Henry Withers, in Westminster Abbey, 1729
  26. X. On Mr Elijah Fenton,[83] at Easthamstead, in Berks, 1730
  27. XI. On Mr Gay, in Westminster Abbey, 1732
  28. XIII. On Dr Francis Atterbury,[84] Bishop of Rochester, Who Died in Exile: At Paris, 1732
  29. XIV. On Edmund Duke of Buckingham, Who Died in the Nineteenth Year of: His Age, 1735
  30. XVI. Another, on the Same
  31. XVII. On Two Lovers Struck Dead by Lightning.[85]
  32. Book I: Epistle Vii
  33. Book II: Satire Vi. The First Part Imitated in the Year 1714, by Dr: Swift; the Latter Part Added Afterwards
  34. Book IV: Ode I. To Venus

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About this edition

This free edition of The Poetical Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 1 by Alexander Pope comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #9413, released 2005-12-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Poetry, British Literature.

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