Biography of Alexander Pope, Englands Most Quoted Poet

Alexander Pope (May 21, 1688 – May 30, 1744) is one of the best-known and most-quoted poets in the English language. He specialized in satirical writing, which earned him some enemies but helped his witty language endure for centuries. Fast Facts: Alexander Pope Occupation: Poet, satirist, writerKnown For: Popes poetry satirized English politics and society of the day, which earned him both admirers and enemies during a particularly turbulent era of British history. His writings have endured and made him one of the most quoted English writers, second only to Shakespeare.Born: May 21, 1688 in London, EnglandDied: May 30, 1744 in Twickenham, Middlesex, EnglandParents: Alexander Pope and Edith TurnerNotable Quote: Teach me to feel anothers woe, to hide the fault I see, that mercy I to others show, that mercy show to me. Early Life Pope was born into a Catholic family in London. His father, also named Alexander, was a successful linen merchant, and his mother, Edith, was from a middle class family. Pope’s early life coincided with major upheaval in England; the same year he was born, William and Mary deposed James II in the Glorious Revolution. Because of the severe restrictions on the public lives of Catholics, Pope was educated at Catholic schools in London that were technically illegal, but quietly tolerated. When Pope was twelve, his family moved away from London to a village in Berkshire, due to laws forbidding Catholics to live within ten miles of London and a corresponding wave of anti-Catholic sentiment and action. Pope was unable to continue his formal education while living in the countryside, but instead taught himself by reading texts by classical authors and poetry in several languages. Pope’s health also further isolated him; he suffered from a form of spinal tuberculosis at the age of twelve that stunted his growth and left him with a hunchback, chronic pain, and respiratory problems. Engraving of Alexander Pope, artist unknown. Georgios Art/Getty Images   Despite these struggles, Pope was introduced to the literary establishment as a young man, largely thanks to the mentorship of the poet John Caryll, who took Pope under his wing. William Walsh, a lesser-known poet, helped Pope revise his first major work, The Pastorals, and the Blount sisters, Teresa and Martha, became lifelong friends. First Publications When Pope published his first work, The Pastorals, in 1709, it was met with almost instant acclaim. Two years later, he published An Essay on Criticism, which includes some of the earliest famous quotes from Pope’s writing (To err is human, to forgive divine† and â€Å"Fools rush in†) and was also very well received. Around this time, Pope befriended a group of contemporary writers: Jonathan Swift, Thomas Parnell, and John Arbuthnot. The writers formed a satirical quartet called the Scriblerus Club, targeting ignorance and pedantry alike through the character of â€Å"Martinus Scriblerus.† In 1712, Pope’s sharp satirical tongue turned to a real-life high society scandal with his most famous poem, The Rape of the Lock. The scandal revolved around an aristocrat who cut off a lock of hair from a beautiful woman without her permission, and Pope’s poem both satirized high society and mused upon consumerism and its relationship to human agency.