Alexander Pope

Alexander Pope Synopsis

This volume in the 21st Century Oxford Authors series presents a substantial selection of Pope's writings, arranged in chronological order to give a sense of the development of his literary career. As well as the poems for which Pope is still best remembered—An Essay on Criticism, The Rape of the Lock, the Essay on Man, the Imitations of Horace, and the Dunciad—readers will find a broad range of lesser-known comic and occasional poems and of his satirical and critical prose. In addition, this volume pays due attention to Pope's genius as a translator, and includes generous selections from his versions of Chaucer, Ovid, Statius, and especially Homer. Several of Pope's letters are also included. Particular care has been taken to give a sense of Pope's arrangement of his verse on the page, in order to reflect his particular interest in the printed form of his work. Extensive commentary will guide readers to a full understanding and enjoyment of these ground-breaking works. The edition also includes a substantial introduction to Pope's writing, and a detailed chronology of his life.