Essay on Man as a Satire
An Essay on Man was written in ( 1733-34 ). The object of this philosophical poem is to vindicate the ways of God to man as Milton did in Paradise Lost '. It attempts to exhibit "organic and harmonious views of the universe. Inspired by the philosophy of his politician Philosopher friend Lord Boiling this is considered to be the best work of the Pope.
Pope evidently takes for granted that there is a God, at once omnipotent and benevolent, but he is troubled by the creation, of God's creation is full of pain, sin and evil. He does not suggest a way out of it, and that is the practice of virtue by man which will ultimately take him to heaven bliss on earth. The path to this bliss may be strewn with the ascendancy of virtue and perfection in man.
Pope declares at the end of the poem that whatever, is right. Pope wrote this essay, popularly known as " Moral Essays ' in verse and not in prose because " principles maxims or precepts so written, both strike the radar more strongly at first and are more easily retained by him afterwards " and because he found he " could express them more shortly this way than in prose itself and " the force as well as grace of arguments or instructions depends on their consciousness.
According to F.R. Leavis, " Pope piquing himself on philosophical or theological profundity and acumer in intolerable. " The Essay propounds the philosophy of the cosmic order. His ideas of self-love, social love, and divine love are actually based on his philosophy of cosmic harmóny. His God is an artist and he uses his skill to give men at least a glimpse of the Universe that is an object of delight and awe. His sublime love encompasses God, all fuse here into a harmonious whole.
Though Pope sometimes seems unconvincing and shallow in thought and arguments, the Essay successfully arouses our sympathy. It also amply succeeds in creating a vision of the cosmic harmony which was the need of the hour. The philosophical overtones of the Essays blur its poetic charm.
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