Analysis of an Extract from Alexander Pope's an Epistle to a Lady - Article Example

Epistle to a Lady Alexander Pope was one of the poets who belonged to the Neo ical period or the Age of reason in English literature, which extended from 1600 to 1785. This period was further subdivided into three sub divisions the Restoration, the Augustan age and the Age of Sensibility, with the works of Alexander Pope being characteristic of the Augustan age.(www.crimsonliteproductions.com). The Neoclassical period signaled the end of the renaissance and represented a brief interim period before the move into romanticism. It is referred to as the restoration because in effect, it encouraged the restoration of the monarchy in Britain through the expression of a reaction against the optimistic view of the Renaissance of man as a fundamentally good and spiritually superior individual.(www.usp.nus.edu.sg). Pope derived his inspiration from the French poet, Nicholas Boileau, whose inspiration in turn was derived from the Roman poet Horace. Literary giants such as Horace, Ovid and Virgil thrived during the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus and their works were characterized by elegance, clarity and gentility. (www.crimsonliteproductions.com). The French poet Boileau’s best known work Art Poetique imitated the classical aesthetics originally presented in Greek art, and present during the Roman Augustine period, in poetic form and this formed the inspiration for the works of Pope. The quality of his poetry possesses the clarity and elegance characteristic of the other works produced during this period such as those of Jonathan Swift and Jonathan Dryden. The drama and emotional spontaneity of the renaissance period were sparse in these works, because it was the age of reason and novels were geared more towards being entertaining, as may also be noted in the wry wit of Jonathan Swift’s novels. Pope’s poem demonstrates the characteristic elements of satire that are also found in the works of Jonathan Swift and John Wilmont, where the authors make use of irony and humor to mockingly question prevailing views and roles imposed by society. For instance, John Wilmont’s poem “The disabled debauchee” offers satirical advice on the pitfalls of lust, while “Signior Dildo” has political satire as its subject. (Wu and DeMaria, 3). Jonathan Swift, in his poem “The Lady’s Dressing Room” mocks male notions of what constitutes feminine beauty. Challenging the existing notion of beauty in women through the use of satire and questioning whether beauty itself can have merit without character, is also the basic objective of Pope’s poem, “Epistle to a lady” The opening lines establish the intent behind the poem, i.e, to set out the qualities that a true woman of character ought to have. “Most women have no characters at all” (Pope 1-2) presages the explication that follows, on what aspects contribute towards true character. Pope sets out to demonstrate this through the use of irony, i.e, by describing all the traits that a woman of character should not have. The element of satire inherent throughout the poem is a notable characteristic of the Augustian period of neo-classicism of which Pope is the most important poetic symbol. The first four lines are significant in also establishing the classical lineage and heritage of Pope’s work, because they establish the definition of “character” in a woman on the meaning of the work character” in the original Greek, where it referred to the stamped image on a coin. As a result, the allusion in the subsequent line, “Matter too soft a mark to bear” (Pope 3) suggests that women cannot be placed in the same rank as slaves, their soft matter or flesh will never bear the brand of a slave.(Keogh, 1973). Women cannot be circulated like coins either, they are not comprised of sturdy alloys that can resist circulation, rather they are made of a more noble metal such as gold, the service they provide is of a voluntary nature rather than one that is coerced. They are best “distinguish’d by black, brown or fair” (Pope 4), which refers to their skin and hair. Thus in these opening lines, Pope bases his further description of women on underlying allusions and assumptions drawn from classical Greek and Roman tradition, which form the context of the Augustain period in neo classical poetry. These lines also clearly provide the inference that the character of a woman will thus be determined by her own conduct and qualities rather than by any pre-conceived or pre-existing notions. Another significant aspect to be noted about Alexander Pope’s poetry is the recurring use of the heroic couplet, which was also another feature of the same historical period. Heroic couplets are rhyming couplets, lines of iambic pentameter that rhyme in pairs, for example aa,bb,cc. In a heroic couplet, the sentences conform to a metric pattern and were balanced to add neatness to the expression. (www.textetc.com). This aspect is noticeable in Pope’s poem: Epistle to a Lady. For example, in lines 7 to 16 of the poem, such heroic couplets are evident. The lines rhyme in pairs and conform to a metric pattern, with greater emphasis being placed on the concluding words in each line, for example, pride-side, man-Swan, cry-eye, shine-divine, saint it-paint it. These lines also use satire to point all some of the aspects of sexual behavior that the poet considers to be inappropriate in a woman, for instance, the “leering” Fannia or “the naked” Leda (Pope, 9,10). These woman exemplify the lack of decorum in sexual behavior. Pope also mockingly deplores an excessive self-love in a woman, for instance Arcadia’s Countess in “ermin’d pride” (Pope 7). Through the use of further heroic couplets in iambic pentameter, Pope uses satire as a means to further express other undesirable qualities in women. For example, there is Rufa who is flirtatious and disinclined to higher study (Pope 21-23). In stating that “morning insects” which “in muck begun” can then move on to “shine, buzz and fly blow in the setting sun” (Pope 27-28), Pope offers a satirical view of how what appears to external beauty in the ambience of the setting sun might actually turn out to be of a much baser disposition if exposed to the blazing rays of the morning sun. The qualities of an ideal woman cannot therefore be assessed on the basis of external beauty alone. In conclusion, it may thus be noted that the work of Pope is characteristic of the neo classical period notably in the use of satire and underlying allusions drawn from the classical era. His contemporaries such as Jonathan Swift, Dryden and Wilmont have similarly made use of satire as a tool to challenge the overly optimistic and exuberant views of the Renaissance that immediately preceded this period. This was the age of Reaosn, where there was a move in the direction of a return to reality, and the notion of art and beauty centered upon those elements that were valued during the era of classical Greek art, further propagated through the Roman period of King Augustine. Works belonging to this period were therefore characterized by clarity of thought and elegance in expression. Pope’s work also demonstrates these traits, because he chooses to express his views on what constitute desirable qualities in women by detailing those qualities that are not desirable. The poem is in the form of an epistle which seeks to be a guide for women, thus elements such as sexual decorum are not expressed in crude terms but rather through gentle mockery and satire. He uses irony, as for example in the contrast between Sappho’s “diamonds” and “dirty smock” (Pope 24), and Rufa’s “quick glancing eye” and her “studying Locke” (Pope 21, 23). Another example is “Folly grows romantic” (Pope 16) which again alludes to the tendency during the earlier Renaissance era to paint everything with the romantic brush, thereby making it appear more attractive and good than it really is. During this era, people were attributed to be naturally good and this is one of the elements directly contradicted by writers such as Pope, Swift and Dryden, who mock this notion through the use of satire, preferring to return to the values of the classical era. It is thus not only in terms of the construction of verse that Pope is characteristic of his period. The use of satire and the heroic couplets are only the external manifestation of the characteristics of work produced during this period. Over and above this however, is the manner in which Pope’s work is characteristic of the underlying beliefs and convictions of this period, in the move away from the exuberant, enthusiastic and overly optimistic values and beliefs of the renaissance towards a favoring of a more realistic approach. This period represents a move back to the values and artistic expression of the classical era and this forms the underlying basis for Pope’s work as well. Thus, in all of these ways, it may be seen that Pope’s work is characteristic of its period. Pope is considered the best example of this era in English literature and poetry and the Augustine phase in neo classical poetry ended with him. References: * A brief overview of English literature upto the age of sensibility” by Count Morivond, Read More