An Essay on Man; Moral Essays and Satires

About the book

This volume joins An Essay on Man with Pope's Moral Essays and satires, showing how his verse moves between broad explanations of human nature and sharply particular social criticism. The Essay on Man considers humanity's place within a larger order, the limits of knowledge, and the relationship between self-interest and social life. The accompanying poems bring moral inquiry closer to the world of wealth, taste, character, patronage, and literary quarrels. Carefully balanced couplets can sound conclusive even when the claims they carry invite dispute, making the relation between verbal precision and persuasive authority part of the reading experience. The collection reveals a poet using polished form to examine conduct while remaining deeply involved in the society he judges.

• Human nature
• Moral judgment
• Social satire

Why read it

Read it for the energy with which tightly made couplets turn ideas and social criticism into memorable arguments.

English text