1688-1744. English poet and satirist. He
established his reputation with the
precocious Pastorals 1709 and Essay on
Criticism 1711, which were followed by a
parody of the heroic epic The Rape of the
Lock 1712-14 and `Eloisa to Abelard' 1717.
Other works include a highly Neo-Classical
translation of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey
1715-26. Pope had a biting wit, which he
expressed in the form of heroic couplets. As
a Catholic, he was subject to discrimination,
and he was embittered by a deformity of the
spine. His edition of Shakespeare attracted
scholarly ridicule, for which he revenged
himself by a satire on scholarly dullness,
the Dunciad 1728. His philosophy, including
An Essay on Man 1733-34 and Moral Essays
1731-35, was influenced by Bolingbroke. His
finest mature productions are his Imitations
of the Satires of Horace 1733-38 and his
personal letters. Among his friends were the
writers Swift, Arbuthnot, and Gay. His line
`A little learning is a dangerous thing' is
often misquoted.