The Use of Personification in An Essay on Criticism :: English Literature

The Use of Personification in An strain on CriticismAn Essay on Criticism was indite by British writer Alexander pontiffaround 1709. This poem was written in heroic couplets and its purposewas to express Popes panorama on literature as a poet and critic. Pope is responding to the debate over whether or non poets shouldwrite naturally or base their hold on a set of pre-determined rulesas done by antique poets. Popes poem can be broken mountain into threemain points. The first section is affaird by Pope to give generalprinciples of nice criticism and poetry. The second sectionidentifies the flaws a critic is prone to. The third sectionaddresses the moral traits a good critic must have and gives examplesof outstanding critics. Popes use of personification throughout thepoem allows him to expand his ideas and secure his argument durationcreating a very memorable poem. His use of personification allows thepoem to sum to life with detail (Pope 2476).Pope begins the poem by sta ting it is less foul-smelling to tire ourPatience, than mislead our Sense (Pope 4) meaning it is much more pestilential to be a bad critic than a bad poet. Tis with our judgmentsas our watches, none/ Go just alike, yet each believes his receive (Pope9). hither Pope uses a watch to personify judgments. Everyone may havetheir own opinion that they believe is right. Most have seeds ofjudgment in their listen Nature affords at least a glimmring light(Pope 20). work force at one time do have seeds of good judgment, unless Popesays that in the search wit they atomic number 18 defaced by irrational education andloose their common sense. Some neither can for wits nor criticspass, as heavy mules are neither horse nor ass (Pope 38). This followrefers to those who never became intellectuals or good critics. Theyare somewhere in between, not worthy of a name. Instead they arereferred to as half-formed insects on the banks of Nile (Pope 41). The bugs embody the critics who swarm every wo rk of literature withtheir malicious criticisms.Pope recommends hobby temper as the first rule By her juststandard, which is heretofore the same One clear, unchanged, anduniversal light (Pope 68). Pope here states that rules are necessaryin order to criticize poetry. He compares theses rules to unerringnature which is believed to be the epitome of ideal order andharmony. The rules of the Ancients are useful guidelines for the true upcritic, for they are Nature Methodized (Pope 89). He believes thatmany recent critics have employ the rules without understanding them.