The Poetical Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 1AN ESSAY ON CRITICISM.Reading editionChapter navigation78 reading sectionsGo to chapterChoose a chapter…THE POETICAL WORKS OF ALEXANDER POPELIFE OF ALEXANDER POPEPREFACE.2VARIATIONS IN THE AUTHOR'S MANUSCRIPT PREFACE.PASTORALS,SPRING — THE FIRST PASTORAL, OR DAMON.VARIATIONSSUMMER — THE SECOND PASTORAL, OR ALEXIS.VARIATIONS.AUTUMN. — THE THIRD PASTORAL, Or HYLAS AND ÆGON.VARIATIONS.WINTER. — THE FOURTH PASTORAL, OR DAPHNE.VARIATIONS.MESSIAH. — A SACRED ECLOGUE, IN IMITATION OF VIRGIL'S 'POLLIO.'AN ESSAY ON CRITICISM.Introduction.—That 'tis as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill,PART II.PART III.PART FIRST.PART SECOND.PART THIRD.THE RAPE OF THE LOCK:CANTO I.CANTO II.VARIATION.CANTO III.VARIATIONS.CANTO IV.VARIATION.CANTO V.VARIATIONS.ODE ON ST CECILIA'S DAY,TWO CHORUSES TO THE TRAGEDY OF BRUTUS.TO THE AUTHOR OF A POEM ENTITLED SUCCESSIO.55ODE ON SOLITUDE.56THE DYING CHRISTIAN TO HIS SOUL.57ELEGY TO THE MEMORY OF AN UNFORTUNATE LADY58PROLOGUE TO MR ADDISON'S TRAGEDY OF CATO.IMITATIONS OF ENGLISH POETS.60I. CHAUCER.II. SPENSER.III. WALLER.ON A FAN OF THE AUTHOR'S DESIGN,IV. COWLEY.WEEPING.V. EARL OF ROCHESTER.VI. EARL OF DORSET.VII. DR SWIFT.THE TEMPLE OF FAME.ELOISA TO ABELARD.EPISTLE TO ROBERT EARL OF OXFORD AND EARL MORTIMER.68EPISTLE TO JAMES CRAGGS, ESQ., SECRETARY OF STATE.69EPISTLE TO MR JERVAS, WITH MR DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF FRESNOY'S 'ART OF PAINTING.'EPISTLE TO MISS BLOUNT, WITH THE WORKS OF VOITURE.72EPISTLE TO MRS TERESA BLOUNT. ON HER LEAVING THE TOWN AFTER THE CORONATION.74TO MRS M. B.75 ON HER BIRTHDAY.TO MR THOMAS SOUTHERN,76 ON HIS BIRTHDAY, 1742.VARIATION.TO MR JOHN MOORE, AUTHOR OF THE CELEBRATED WORM-POWDER.TO MR C.,80 ST JAMES'S PLACE.EPITAPHS.AN ESSAY ON MAN: IN FOUR EPISTLES TO HENRY ST JOHN, LORD BOLINGBROKE.EPISTLE I. — OF THE NATURE AND STATE OF MAN WITH RESPECT TO THE UNIVERSE.EPISTLE II. — OF THE NATURE AND STATE OF MAN WITH RESPECT TO HIMSELF AS AN INDIVIDUAL.EPISTLE III. — OF THE NATURE AND STATE OF MAN WITH RESPECT TO SOCIETY.EPISTLE IV. — OF THE NATURE AND STATE OF MAN WITH RESPECT TO HAPPINESS.EPISTLE TO DR ARBUTHNOT; OR, PROLOGUE TO THE SATIRES.SATIRES AND EPISTLES OF HORACE IMITATED.THE FIRST EPISTLE OF THE SECOND BOOK OF HORACE.TO AUGUSTUS.142THE SECOND EPISTLE OF THE SECOND BOOK OF HORACE.BOOK I. EPISTLE VII. — IMITATED IN THE MANNER OF DR SWIFT.BOOK II. SATIRE VI. THE FIRST PART IMITATED IN THE YEAR 1714, BY DR SWIFT; THE LATTER PART ADDED AFTERWARDS.BOOK IV. ODE I. TO VENUS.PART OF THE NINTH ODE OF THE FOURTH BOOK.THE SATIRES OF DR JOHN DONNE, DEAN OF ST PAUL'S,171 VERSIFIED.EPILOGUE177 TO THE SATIRES. IN TWO DIALOGUES. (WRITTEN IN MDCCXXXVIII.)FOOTNOTES:Previous chapter ←MESSIAH. — A SACRED ECLOGUE, IN IMITATION OF VIRGIL'S 'POLLIO.'Next chapter →Part 1 — Introduction.—That 'tis as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill,All chapters and sections (78)Other sectionsTHE POETICAL WORKS OF ALEXANDER POPELIFE OF ALEXANDER POPEPREFACE.2VARIATIONS IN THE AUTHOR'S MANUSCRIPT PREFACE.PASTORALS,SPRING — THE FIRST PASTORAL, OR DAMON.VARIATIONSSUMMER — THE SECOND PASTORAL, OR ALEXIS.VARIATIONS.AUTUMN. — THE THIRD PASTORAL, Or HYLAS AND ÆGON.VARIATIONS.WINTER. — THE FOURTH PASTORAL, OR DAPHNE.VARIATIONS.MESSIAH. — A SACRED ECLOGUE, IN IMITATION OF VIRGIL'S 'POLLIO.'AN ESSAY ON CRITICISM.Part 1 · Other sectionsIntroduction.—That 'tis as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill,Parts23Part 1 · Parts1Part 2 · Parts2Part 3 · Parts3Part 3 · Other sectionsTHE RAPE OF THE LOCK:Part 3 · Sections12Part 3 · Other sectionsVARIATION.Part 3 · Sections3Part 3 · Other sectionsVARIATIONS.Part 3 · Sections4Part 3 · Other sectionsVARIATION.Part 3 · Sections5Part 3 · Other sectionsVARIATIONS.ODE ON ST CECILIA'S DAY,TWO CHORUSES TO THE TRAGEDY OF BRUTUS.TO THE AUTHOR OF A POEM ENTITLED SUCCESSIO.55ODE ON SOLITUDE.56THE DYING CHRISTIAN TO HIS SOUL.57ELEGY TO THE MEMORY OF AN UNFORTUNATE LADY58PROLOGUE TO MR ADDISON'S TRAGEDY OF CATO.IMITATIONS OF ENGLISH POETS.60I. CHAUCER.II. SPENSER.III. WALLER.ON A FAN OF THE AUTHOR'S DESIGN,IV. COWLEY.WEEPING.V. EARL OF ROCHESTER.VI. EARL OF DORSET.VII. DR SWIFT.THE TEMPLE OF FAME.ELOISA TO ABELARD.EPISTLE TO ROBERT EARL OF OXFORD AND EARL MORTIMER.68EPISTLE TO JAMES CRAGGS, ESQ., SECRETARY OF STATE.69EPISTLE TO MR JERVAS, WITH MR DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF FRESNOY'S 'ART OF PAINTING.'EPISTLE TO MISS BLOUNT, WITH THE WORKS OF VOITURE.72EPISTLE TO MRS TERESA BLOUNT. ON HER LEAVING THE TOWN AFTER THE CORONATION.74TO MRS M. B.75 ON HER BIRTHDAY.TO MR THOMAS SOUTHERN,76 ON HIS BIRTHDAY, 1742.VARIATION.TO MR JOHN MOORE, AUTHOR OF THE CELEBRATED WORM-POWDER.TO MR C.,80 ST JAMES'S PLACE.EPITAPHS.AN ESSAY ON MAN: IN FOUR EPISTLES TO HENRY ST JOHN, LORD BOLINGBROKE.EPISTLE I. — OF THE NATURE AND STATE OF MAN WITH RESPECT TO THE UNIVERSE.EPISTLE II. — OF THE NATURE AND STATE OF MAN WITH RESPECT TO HIMSELF AS AN INDIVIDUAL.EPISTLE III. — OF THE NATURE AND STATE OF MAN WITH RESPECT TO SOCIETY.EPISTLE IV. — OF THE NATURE AND STATE OF MAN WITH RESPECT TO HAPPINESS.EPISTLE TO DR ARBUTHNOT; OR, PROLOGUE TO THE SATIRES.SATIRES AND EPISTLES OF HORACE IMITATED.THE FIRST EPISTLE OF THE SECOND BOOK OF HORACE.TO AUGUSTUS.142THE SECOND EPISTLE OF THE SECOND BOOK OF HORACE.Part 3 / Book 1 · Books1Part 3 / Book 2 · Books2Part 3 / Book 4 · Books4Part 3 / Book 4 · Other sectionsPART OF THE NINTH ODE OF THE FOURTH BOOK.THE SATIRES OF DR JOHN DONNE, DEAN OF ST PAUL'S,171 VERSIFIED.EPILOGUE177 TO THE SATIRES. IN TWO DIALOGUES. (WRITTEN IN MDCCXXXVIII.)FOOTNOTES:WRITTEN IN THE YEAR MDCCIX.← MESSIAH. — A SACRED ECLOGUE, IN IMITATION OF VIRGIL'S 'POLLIO.'Introduction.—That 'tis as great a fault to judge ill, as to write ill, →