Alexander-Pope

AlexanderPope(1688-1744)Englishessayist,critic,satirist,andoneofthegreatestpoetsoftheEnlightenmentContents:BriefIntroductionMajorWorksSomeQuotationsfromPopeAnalysisofhisAnEssayonManAlexanderPope(1688.5.21–1744.5.30)wasafamous18th-centuryEnglishpoet,bestknownforhissatiricalverseandforhistranslationofHomer.Famousforhisuseoftheheroiccouplet,heisthethird-mostfrequentlyquotedwriterinTheOxfordDictionaryofQuotations,afterShakespeareandTennyson(丁尼生).Merchant(RomanCatholic)familyPoorHealth:Weak&crippledLittleregularschooling(byself-study)Nouniversity,novoting,nopublicofficeforhimDuetohisRomanCatholicbackgroundandpoorhealthTurntopoetryinhisearlylifeAtbestinsatire（讽刺）andepigram（警句）Inhistime,Popewasfamousforhiswittysatireandaggressive,bitterquarrelswithotherwritersFromtheageof12,hesufferednumeroushealthproblems,suchasPott‘sdisease(aformoftuberculosisthataffectsthebone)（结核性脊椎炎）,whichdeformedhisbodyandstuntedhisgrowth,leavinghimwithaseverehunchback（驼背）.Histuberculosisinfectioncausedotherhealthproblemsincludingrespiratorydifficulties,highfevers,inflamedeyes,andabdominalpain.Hegrewtoaheightofonly1.37mtall.PopewasalreadyremovedfromsocietybecausehewasCatholic;hispoorhealthonlyalienatedhimfurther.Pope'seducationwasaffectedbytherecentlyenactedTestActs,whichupheldthestatusoftheestablishedChurchofEnglandandbannedCatholicsfromteaching,attendingauniversity,voting,orholdingpublicofficeonpainofperpetualimprisonment.Popewastaughttoreadbyhisaunt,andwenttoTwyfordSchoolinabout1698/99.HethenwenttotwoCatholicschoolsinLondon.In1700,duetostronganti-CatholicsentimentandastatutepreventingCatholicsfromlivingwithin10milesofeitherLondonorWestminster,hisfamilymoved.Pope'sformaleducationendedatthistime,andfromthenonhemostlyeducatedhimselfbyreadingtheworksofclassicalwriters.HealsostudiedmanylanguagesandreadworksbyEnglish,French,Italian,Latin,andGreekpoets.AlexanderPope故居AlexanderPope故居牌坊EpitaphforIsaacNewton’stombstonebyAlexanderPope:Natureandnature'slawslayhidinnight;GodsaidLetNewtonbe!andallwaslight.自然和自然的法则隐藏在黑暗之中。上帝说：让牛顿出世吧，于是一切豁然开朗。AnEssayonCriticism(1711)《批评论》TheRapeoftheLock(1712-14)《夺发记》TheDunciad(1728)《愚人记》AnEssayonMan(1733-34)《论人》Majorworks:Popeasapoet:Heroiccouplet(英雄双韵/行体)•Averseunitconsistingoflinesiniambicpentameter（抑扬格五音步）rhymedinpairs;•AtraditionalformforEnglishpoetry,commonlyusedinepicandnarrativepoetry(通常用于史诗和叙事诗中);•UseofitwaspioneeredbyChaucer（乔叟）intheLegendofGoodWomen《贤妇传说》andCanterburyTales《坎特伯雷故事集》andwasperfectedbyJohnDryden（约翰·德莱顿）intheRestorationAge;•Cameintovogueinpoeticdramaintheseventeenthcentury;•Intheeighteenthcentury,inthehandsofmasterslikeDryden,PopeandJohnson,itbecameformanyyearsthedominantEnglishverseform.TranslationoftheIliad（1715–20）theOdyssey（1725-26）翻译荷马史诗《伊里亚特》、《奥德赛》Popeasatranslator:HistranslationoftheIliadwasacclaimedbySamuelJohnsonas“aperformancewhichnoageornationcouldhopetoequal.”(第一部英语词典的编纂者约翰逊博士称赞为“世界前所未见的高贵的诗译作”)Popeasaneditor:EditingandpublishingShakespeare’splaysin1725SomequotationsfromPope:•Alittlelearningisadangerousthing.(fromAnEssayonCriticism)•只有少量知识是危险的。•Toerrishuman,toforgive,divine.•人皆有错，难能宽恕。•AnhonestmanisthenoblestworkofGod.•诚实的人是上帝创造的最佳作品。•Forfoolsrushinwhereangelsfeartotread.•天使裹足不前,愚人横冲直入。/智者避之惟恐不及,愚者轻举妄动。•Foolsadmire,butmenofsenseapprove.•傻瓜才仰慕别人，而有见识的人赞赏别人。Introduction•TheEssayonManisaphilosophicalpoem,writteninheroiccoupletsandpublishedbetween1732and1734.Popeintendedthispoemtobethecenterpieceofaproposedsystemofethicsthatwastobeputforthinpoeticform;however,hedidnotlivetocompleteit.•ThepoemconsistsoffourepistlesthatareaddressedtoLordBolingbroke.Itisanattemptto“vindicatethewaysofGodtoMan.Itchallengesaspridefulananthropocentricworld-view.ThepoemisnotsolelyChristian;however,itmakesanassumptionthatmanhasfallenandmustseekhisownsalvation.Analysis•Dividedintofourparts,AnEssayonManexplicatesideascommonplaceamongeighteenth-centuryEuropeanintellectualsconcerninghumannatureandhumanity'sroleintheuniverse.•Thefirstepistleattemptstoshowtheunderlyingharmonyandvirtueoftheuniverseandtheproprietyofhumanity'splaceinit,despitethepresenceofevilandapparentimperfectionintheworld.•Thesecondepistlediscusseshumansasuniquebeingsandshowshowthepsychologicalbalancebetweenself-interestandthe“passions,”oremotions,undertheguidanceofreason,promotesvirtuousliving.•Thethirdepistleaddressestheroleoftheindividualinsociety,tracingtheoriginsofsuchcivilizinginstitutionsasgovernmentandtheclasssystemtoaconstantinteractionbetweentheselfishmotivationsandaltruisticimpulsesofindividualhumans.•Thefourthepistleframesthestrugglebetweenself-loveandloveofothersintermsofthepursuitofhappiness,arguingthatanyhumancanattaintruehappinessthroughvirtuousliving,whichhappensonlywhenselfishinstinctsyieldtogenuineexpressionsofbenevolencetowardothersandGod.Themes•theexistenceofaSupremeBeing•thebehaviorofhumans•theworkingsoftheuniverseandtheroleofhumansinit•thecapacityofgovernmenttoestablishandpromotethehappinessofitscitizens.•theideathatthereexistsanordereduniversewhichpossessesacoherentstructureandfunctionsinarationalfashion,accordingtonatur