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

The Use of Personification in An assay on CriticismAn Essay on Criticism was written by British writer Alexander Popearound 1709. This poem was written in heroic couplets and its purposewas to channel Popes opinion on literature as a poet and critic. Pope is responding to the debate over whether or not poets shouldwrite naturally or base their work on a set of pre-determined rulesas done by ancient poets. Popes poem can be scattered down into threemain points. The first section is used by Pope to give generalprinciples of good 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 prosopopoeia throughout thepoem allows him to expand his ideas and secure his argument whilecreating a very memorable poem. His use of personification allows thepoem to come to life with event (Pope 2476).Pope begins the poem by stating it is less offens ive to tire ourPatience, than mislead our Sense (Pope 4) meaning it is much moreharmful to be a inquisitive critic than a bad poet. Tis with our judgmentsas our watches, none/ Go just alike, yet each believes his own (Pope9). Here Pope uses a watch to impersonate judgments. Everyone may havetheir own opinion that they believe is right. Most have seeds ofjudgment in their mind Nature affords at least a glimm sonorousness light(Pope 20). Men at one time do have seeds of good judgment, but Popesays that in the search wit they are defaced by false education andloose their common sense. Some neither can for wits nor criticspass, as heavy mules are neither horse nor ass (Pope 38). This product linerefers 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 represent the critics who seethe every work of literature withtheir malicious critic isms.Pope recommends following nature as the first rule By her juststandard, which is still the same whiz 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 high-minded order andharmony. The rules of the Ancients are useful guidelines for the truecritic, for they are Nature Methodized (Pope 89). He believes thatmany recent critics have used the rules without understanding them.