An Essay on Man, philosophical essay written in heroic couplets of iambic pentameter by Alexander Pope, published in – It was conceived as part of a larger work that Pope never completed. The poem consists of four epistles. The first epistle surveys relations between humans and the universe; the second discusses humans as individuals Summary. The subtitle of the first epistle is “Of the Nature and State of Man, with Respect to the Universe,” and this section deals with man’s place in the cosmos. Pope argues that to justify God’s ways to man must necessarily be to justify His ways in relation to all other things. God rules over the whole universe and has no special favorites, not man nor any other blogger.comted Reading Time: 6 mins Essay on Man. The work that more than any other popularized the optimistic philosophy, not only in England but throughout Europe, was Alexander Pope's Essay on Man (), a rationalistic effort to justify the ways of God to man philosophically. As has been stated in the introduction, Voltaire had become well acquainted with the English poet during his stay of more than two years in England, and
Pope’s Poems and Prose An Essay on Man: Epistle I Summary and Analysis | GradeSaver
Awake, my St. leave all meaner essay on man summary To low ambition, and the pride of kings. Say first, of God above, or man below, What can we reason, but from what we know? Of man what see we, essay on man summary, but his station here, From which to reason, or to which refer? or can a part contain the whole? Presumptuous man! Ask of thy mother earth, why oaks are made Taller or stronger than the weeds they shade? Respecting man, whatever wrong we call, May, must be right, as relative to all.
If to be perfect in a certain sphere, What matter, soon or late, essay on man summary, or here or there? The blest today is as completely so, As who began a thousand years ago. The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed today, Had he thy reason, would he skip and play? Oh blindness to the future! Hope humbly then; with trembling pinions soar; Wait the great teacher Death; and God adore!
What future bliss, he gives not thee to know, But gives that hope to be thy blessing now. Go, wiser thou! Pride still is aiming at the blest abodes, Men would be angels, angels would be gods.
But errs not Nature from this gracious end, From burning suns when livid deaths descend, When earthquakes swallow, or when tempests sweep Towns to one grave, whole nations to the deep?
If the great end be human happiness, Then Nature deviates; and can man do less? In both, to reason right is to submit. But ALL subsists by elemental strife; And passions are the elements of life. What would this man? Why has not man a microscopic eye? For this plain reason, man is not a fly.
Or quick effluvia darting through the brain, Die of a rose in aromatic pain? Who finds not Providence all good and wise, Alike in what it gives, and what denies? Without this just gradation, could they be Subjected, these to those, or all to thee?
See, through this air, this ocean, and this earth, All matter quick, and bursting into birth. Above, how high, progressive life may go!
Around, how wide! how deep extend below! Vast chain of being, which from God began, Natures ethereal, human, angel, man, Beast, bird, fish, insect! what no eye can see, No glass can reach! from infinite to thee, From thee to nothing! All this dread order break—for whom? for thee? Vile worm! Cease then, nor order imperfection name: Our proper bliss depends on what we blame. However,it would be wrong to suggest that it is just a poem.
It is in fact a combination of an essay and a poem. It is a poem as far as its form and style is concerned however,when we focus on the gravity of thought and the depth of philosophical ideas, it looks much like a literary essay which is more universal in appeal and approach. That is why it is rightly termed as an essay in poetic form. This unique blending of essay and form is actually expressed in four poetical epistles. This epistle addressed to Henry St. The poem starts abruptly.
It is obvious that all of us feel that we are the chosen creatures of God, essay on man summary. We also assume that we have been formed after God and know fully well what He is and what He wants from us. The poet however, does not believe in any such assumptions. He feels that it is beyond man to understand the ways of God. Therefore, it is more appropriate for him to concentrate on himself, that is, Pope wants man to observe his own complexities, confusions and contradictions rather than talking about God and His ways.
He finds man to be wise and great. That is why though man may be wise; his wisdom is of no use because of his inner essay on man summary. Moreover,a great man can never be rude and since Pope calls man great and rude together, he suggests that man cannot be great because he is by nature rude.
He finds him full of knowledge which does not help him. Moreover, he also finds him too weak to be successful as a stoic. Pope then concentrates on essay on man summary dilemma that man experiences as because of his complex and contradictory drives, man lives in doubt for ever. He does not know whether to act or rest. He also is always in doubt whether to see himself as a God or a beast, because he is a combination of the both. It is in this sense that Pope finds man to be dangling in between God and beast.
Caught between these two extremes, man cannot decide what to prefer — his body or his mind. Hence though man applies reason before taking action, he fails and errs because his reasoning also his faulty and awkward.
He finds essay on man summary to be ignorant even if he thinks too much or too little. Obviously,Pope does not believe that those who think too much can reach a level of understanding as to what they are and what they are supposed to be doing in life.
Pope finds man to be created with such complexities that he can rise but only to fall. Because of his inner contradictions man becomes a curious combination of weakness and strengths.
Due to his strengths, he aspires to rise above his nature. But because of his weakness, he fails to do so. Therefore, essay on man summary, man appears to be a lord of all things,but still he is a victim. Thus, in spite of all his greatness, he is only a riddle for he is a curious blending of difference traits, virtues and shortcomings. Because of all the confusion mixture, essay on man summary, man is both the glory as well as the joker of the world.
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AN ESSAY ON MAN by Alexander Pope - EPISTLE 1- INTRODUCTION - lines 1-16-
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Summary. The subtitle of the first epistle is “Of the Nature and State of Man, with Respect to the Universe,” and this section deals with man’s place in the cosmos. Pope argues that to justify God’s ways to man must necessarily be to justify His ways in relation to all other things. God rules over the whole universe and has no special favorites, not man nor any other blogger.comted Reading Time: 6 mins Oct 26, · Pope’s principle for understanding man is the Great Chain of Being, which orders all creation according to God’s will. The disorders which man sees in the universe are actually An Essay on Man, philosophical essay written in heroic couplets of iambic pentameter by Alexander Pope, published in – It was conceived as part of a larger work that Pope never completed. The poem consists of four epistles. The first epistle surveys relations between humans and the universe; the second discusses humans as individuals
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