Alexander pope an essay on man.

Alexander Pope, an English poet known best for his satirical verses and use for heroic couplet, is the third quoted and referenced poet after Shakespeare and Tennyson; born in May 21 1788 to a linen merchant Alexander pope and his wife Edith, who were both Catholics(Fraser,1978). He is known for writing satirical poems that reflect to the way people live and the relationship of God and man. Some of his poems are an essay on criticism; it identifies him as a poet and critic, Rape of the lock and an essay on man. He has also done a few translations too including; the Llaid and Odyssey.

An essay on man was one of Alexander Pope’s poems written in heroics couplet, was a philosophical poem whose main intention was to propose certain system of code of conduct poetically. It is an attempt to justify the ways of God to man. The poem was not solely Christian but it assumed that man had fallen and needed to seek his own redemption. He points out however controversial the world can be it exists in its own way according to the natural laws. God made man but man has used his knowledge through science to turn and try and imitate God.

I agree with Alexander that man should stop trying to be God. The way God decided to create us was what was intended and that people should stop trying to be God. We should not try to be God but try to follow the ways He teaches us. That way we will not dwell our lives on understanding the supernatural way of God but understand what He wants us to do and the responsibilities He has given us being the centric position between the angles and beasts. People through science and technology have made themselves believe they are like God, main reason why we have turned from believing in Him and put much of our trust in what we have crafted. But we tend to forget that that same knowledge we use comes from that same God.

Instead we should imitate His ways by being empathetic which means, the action of being understanding, being aware of, being sensitive about other peoples’ feelings. Through God’s acts such as forgiving we should learn to forgive others, also we should show love to everything else that God has created just as He shows love to us. Alexander Pope’s main agenda in the poem, Essay on Man, he tries to show what we should focus on as man and what we should stop trying to do, that is, trying to be God. It is easier to live in God’s way than to be who He is since no one was there in the beginning before the world was created, no one has really seen Him. We should just accept how things were set and live to the best responsible way we can to make our world perfect place other than the pessimistic notion we have towards it.

Human nature like all other sciences, has on a few clear points in their findings hence we should live more on that that we can absorb and see and define clearly other than dying looking for that that will never have clear meaning and whose components will easily be questionable and debated (Pope, 1790).

Though Pope did not live to accomplish his mission he left us this poem to contemplate on. We should be responsible and not argue or proving God wrong for where he placed us as human beings, but accept what task that He gave us.

Cited work;

Pope, A. (1790). An essay on man By Alexander Pope, Esq. Enlarged and improved by the author.. Preston: Printed and sold by W. Sergent.

Fraser, G. S. (1978). Alexander Pope. London: Routledge and Paul.