Literature · Philosophy · Scholarship · 1688–1744
Born: 21 May 1688 · Died: 30 May 1744 · Age: 56
English Augustan poet of The Rape of the Lock and An Essay on Man, famous for his heroic couplets and wit
Did you know?He was largely self-educated after being barred from attending university in England because of his Roman Catholic faith.
Alexander Pope was the finest poet of early 18th-century England. He faced many obstacles: he was Catholic, barred from university, and in poor health from childhood. He became famous anyway through sheer talent. His rhyming couplets are polished, witty and endlessly quotable. The Rape of the Lock turns a quarrel over a stolen curl into a mock epic. His translation of Homer made him wealthy and independent. In The Dunciad he mocked his literary rivals. Many of his lines, such as "a little learning is a dangerous thing", are still in daily use.
Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century.
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“To err is human, to forgive divine.”
Profile
English poet, 1688–1744
Alexander Pope was born in London on 21 May 1688.
An Essay on Criticism appeared in 1711.
The Rape of the Lock followed in 1712.
He translated Homer's Iliad.
Career highlights
Did you know?"To err is human, to forgive divine" comes from his Essay on Criticism.
Questions people ask
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