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Alexander Pope (1688-1744) is perhaps the best-known representative of the Augustan period. He is remembered for his elaborate poetic diction and his skilful use of the heroic couplet, a metrical form which he adapted in his poetry to a wide range of topics and moods. Such epigrams as "A little learning is a dangerous thing" and "To err is human, to forgive, divine" (both from Pope's Essay on Criticism, 1711) are still highly quotable today. A Roman Catholic, Pope received a private education at home. He was engaged in a lively exchange with many intellectuals of his day and was known as a garden connoisseur among his contemporaries. Pope's works are fascinating not only for their verbal artistry but also for what they reveal about contemporary society and the various brawls in which Pope was involved in his day. Many of his poems are highly entertaining as they provide acid satires on Pope's adversaries, and his mock-epics The Rape of the Lock and The Dunciad are still enjoyable today for their laying bare of people's conceits and self-centredness in a witty, humane fashion. Required Reading:
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Alexander Pope