亚历山大·蒲柏

2020/7/9PreparedbyTonySun1AlexanderPope(1688-1744)ThegreatestEnglishpoetoftheclassicalschoolinthefirsthalfofthe18thcenturyAmasterofpoetryintheformofheroiccoupletsThemostimportantrepresentativeoftheEnglishclassicalpoetry2020/7/9PreparedbyTonySun2LifeExperience&LiteraryCareer1.Englishpoet&satirist,borninLondon,England,May21,1688(theyearofGloriousRevolution),diedinTwickenham,EnglandMay30,1744.2.Popeisoneofthefore-mostsatiristsinworldliteratureaswellasagreatpoet.Hewrotewitty&polishedversesridiculingthebehaviorofhisday.3.Pope’smock-heroicpoemTheRapeoftheLock(劫发记)isoneofthefinestexamplesofEnglishcomicverse.HemadehisnameasagreatpoetwiththepublicationofAnEssayonCriticismin1711.HisDunciad(愚人记)isscathingattackondullness&pedantryinliterature.Healsocomposedverseessaysonphilosophy,literature&criticism.InAnessayonMan,hebrilliantlyexpressedthephilosophicaltrends&conceptsofhisage.2020/7/9PreparedbyTonySun3Pope’sLiterallyOutlook1.AsarepresentativeoftheEnlightenment,PopewasoneofthefirsttointroducerationalismtoEngland.2.Hestronglyadvocatedneoclassicism,emphasizingthatliteraryworksshouldbejudgedbyclassicalrulesoforder,reason,logic,restrainedemotion,goodtaste&decorum(礼貌).AccordingtoPope,almosteverygenreofliteratureshouldhavesomefixedlaws&rules.a)Proseshouldbeprecise,direct,smooth&flexible.b)Poetryshouldbelyrical,epical,didactic,satiricordramatic,c)DramashouldbewrittenintheHeroicCouplet(iambicpentameterrhymedintwolines);thethreeunitiesoftime,space&actionshouldbestrictlyobserved;regularityinconstructionshouldbeadheredto,&typecharactersratherthanindividualsshouldberepresented.2020/7/9PreparedbyTonySun4TheRapeoftheLockAdelightfulburlesqueofepicpoetry(滑稽英雄诗),itridiculesthemannersoftheEnglishnobility.Thepoemisbasedonanactualincidentinwhichayoungnoblemanstolealockofalady’shair.2020/7/9PreparedbyTonySun5AnEssayonCriticismHisfirstimportantwork,AnEssayonCriticismwasalongdidacticpoeminheroiccouplets.Inthiswork,hereflectedtheneo-classicalspiritofthetimesbyadvocatinggoodtaste,commonsense&theadherencetoclassicalrulesinwriting&criticism.Thewholepoemiswritteninaplainstyle,hardlycontaininganyimageryoreloquence&thereforemakeseasyreading.2020/7/9PreparedbyTonySun6TheDunciadGenerallyconsideredPope’sbestsatiricwork,TheDunciadgoesdeepinmeaning&worksatmanylevels.ItssatireisdirectedatDullnessingeneral,&inthecourseofitalltheliterarymenoftheage.PoetsmainlywhohadmadePope’senemies,arehelduptoridicule.Butthepoemisnotconfinedtopersonalattack.Dullnessasreflectedinthecorruptnessofgovernment,socialmorals,education&evenreligion,isexpertlyexposed&satirized.adherence2020/7/9PreparedbyTonySun7AnEssayonManAphilosophicalpoem,writteninheroiccoupletsandpublishedbetween1732and1734.AnattempttojustifythewaysofGodtoMan,andthatmanisnothimselfthecentreofallthings.TheessayisnotsolelyChristian;however,itmakesanassumptionthatmanhasfallenandmustseekhisownsalvation.Consistsoffourepistles(书信)thatareaddressedtoLordBolingbroke.Popepresentsanideaorhisviewontheuniverse;hesaysthatnomatterhowimperfect,complex,inscrutableanddisturbingtheUniverseappearstobe,itfunctionsinarationalfashionaccordingtothenaturallaws.ThenaturallawsconsidertheUniverseasawholeaperfectworkofGod.Tohumansitappearstobeevilandimperfectinmanyways;however,Popepointsoutthatthisisduetoourlimitedmindsetandlimitedintellectualcapacity.Popegetsthemessageacrossthathumansmustaccepttheirpositioninthe“GreatChainofBeing”whichisatamiddlestagebetweentheangelsandthebeastsoftheworld.Ifweareabletoaccomplishthisthenwepotentiallycouldleadhappyandvirtuouslives.2020/7/9PreparedbyTonySun8TheessayonManisanaffirmativepoemoffaith:lifeseemstobechaoticandconfusingtomanwhenheisinthecenterofit,butaccordingtoPope,itisreallydivinelyordered.InPope’sworldGodexistsandiswhathecenterstheUniversearoundinordertohaveanorderedstructure.Thelimitedintelligenceofmancanonlytakeintinyportionsofthisorderandcanexperienceonlypartialtruths,hencemanmustrelyonhopewhichthenleadsintofaith.ManmustbeawareofhisexistenceintheUniverseandwhathebringstoit,intermsofriches,powerandfame.Itisman’sdutytostrivetobegoodregardlessoftheothersituations:thisisthemessagePopeistryingtogetacrosstothereader.2020/7/9PreparedbyTonySun9StylePope’sworksarestillenjoyedfortheirsparklingwit,goodsense&charmofexpression.AfterShakespeare,heisthemostwidelyquotedpoetinEnglishliterature.Heworkedpainstakinglyonhispoems,developedasatiric,concise,smooth,graceful&well-balancedstyle.