Alexander Pope An Essay on Criticism

Simple rhyme scheme of couplets. Every two lines rhyme. Written in iambic pentameter. Ten syllables per line-five unstressed and five stressed in alternating pattern. Argues whether being a poor poet or a poor critic is the greater evil.

Poetry Tires patience, meaning it can annoy us and, if really poor, show the poet to be a fool. This goes back to the idea that the arts and beauty have no real place in life because they are not useful. Seen as a waste of time,

II. Uncommon to find a true genius in poetry II. Uncommon to find a true genius in poetry. In other words, good poets are hard to come by. III. All poets think they are talented. Let the truly talented write poetry and teach others how to write poetry.

Criticism Poor criticism, which misinterprets a text, such as a poem, misleads man’s sense, meaning it leads his mind astray. Those who are poor critics make mistakes and thus lead others to make similar mistakes. In this sense, poor critics are worse than poor poets.

III. Criticism is useful because it explains a text III. Criticism is useful because it explains a text. It is more desirable for those thinkers of the Enlightenment. IV. Issue is that each critic believes himself to be correct. (Isn’t this what skepticism promotes? See the inconsistency?) V. Just like with poetry, it is difficult to find a good critic who has “true taste.”

Dichotomy Poem seems to suggest that criticism is more objective than poetry Also says not all criticism is good or correct. This contradicts the idea that skepticism should be employed so that each person comes to the truth for himself. Therefore, Pope is saying that criticism is only good if it is not only objective, but right… proving the importance of objective truth

III. Really, the big thinkers of the Enlightenment want people to accept THEIR ideas reached through their own methods of skepticism and reaching truths. In this way, we can see what Pope exposes-that it is as rare to have true poetic genius as it is to be a good critic.

IV. Pope goes on to say that most men are capable of being good critics. The seeds of reason are in the mind, but poor instruction gets in the way and leads men astray.