EPP Alexander (Pope Alexander)

(1688-1744)
Born May 21, 1688 in London. His parents were Catholics, . and because after the ascension to the throne of William and Mary, Parliament adopted a law 'to remove the papists, . as well as they should be established, . from the cities of London and Westminster ', . family moved to Hammersmith, . and in 1700 - in Binfild, . Located in Windsor forest, there in the quiet of the countryside has developed the personality of the future poet,
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Prevailing literary tastes, as well as the desire to compensate for bodily weakness identified related to Popa, the heroic epic tradition and the warehouse - it is their highly valued and developed. He paid homage to Homer, Virgil and Milton. Like Virgil, Pop joined literature Pastoral (Pastorals, 1709). The first major success brought him a poem An Essay on criticism (An Essay on Criticism, 1711), written in defense of ancient authors, and calling upon critics to softness and tolerance. Readers attracted by the excellent sanity Popa, who expounded in the poem generally accepted views of his time, and aphoristic formulations. Innate propensity for satire and the urge to have created a mock-heroic epic poem Rape of the Lock (The Rape of the Lock, 1712, 1714) - about two families who fell out due to the fact that the young Lord jokingly snapped a lover curl. Narrating about ordinary things high epic style, the author kindly jeering at pretentiousness fashionable men and women who gathered to enjoy your time.

Friends prompted Popa translation of the Iliad. Pop did not study at university and knew little Greek, but was incredibly workable. Translation - six volumes published in 1715-1720, - was a success and a bright. Later Pop not unaided undertook the translation Odyssey (1722-1726).

During the Jacobite unrest (1715) Pop, being a Catholic, came under suspicion. Hacks-Whigs denounced him for his friendship with the Tories - Dzh.Sviftom, D. Arbuthnot and others. Hostility inspired the Whigs of the encirclement D. Addison. Pop increasingly socialized with peers and printers, which has prompted the family fled in 1716, close to London, in Chiswick, where the poet's father died suddenly a year later. In 1719 Pop with his mother moved to Tviknem, in the house on the banks of the Thames, where he lived until his death. Before moving Pop released that Works (Works, 1717), which together with the published were the new things in t.ch. Heloise Abelard, transposition of the medieval love story, and one unhappy memory Lyrics Ladies. After translation of the Iliad, Pop began organizing the publication of Shakespeare's plays, which appeared in 1725. He was the first who fairly trouble over Shakespearean texts, but his efforts to reconcile them, few paid tribute to. The priest has even appeared a rival in the person of L. Theobald (1688-1744), who ridiculed his work in the book Recycled Shakespeare (1726). Pop later made it a Dunsiade (The Dunciad) in the central image of the Prince of stupidity.

Theobald and other attacks on the talent, religion, political views and personality Popa forced him to turn to satire. But they were not only motivated by resentment. Most zeitgeist - a fierce battle behind the scenes of politicians, unseemly discord in the royal family and especially mania gripped all gambling - has created in him the hope that he can heal mockery. Pop believed that he adheres to the golden mean and that the extremes should be avoided at all costs. As a Catholic, he could speak on the political scene only as an observer without voting rights, neutrality has allowed him at the end of 1720 to maintain a close friendship with each of the two great political rivals - GA Bolingbroke and R. Walpole.

Pop was by nature a bookish man, and his first major satire Dunsiada depicts ambitions and feeble mind second-rate writers. His grief-heroes completely stupid, but the word 'dullard' has two opposite meanings: a pedant and empty-headed fool. The personification of pedantry Pop & Theobald did, however, realizing that much of this character not to squeeze, pushed him to third place in Book II and forced to sleep through all the action of Book III in the edition 1728. Complete Annotated Dunsiada (The Dunciad Variorum) published in 1729, and thoroughly revised edition 1743 Pop generally replaced Theobald on the playwright and poet laureate K. Sibbera (1671-1757). In Book IV of the poem confusion and stupidity of the final triumph

. If Dunsiada - a satire on those, . who unpretentious pen makes a living, . then in the Message Count Burlington (An Epistle to the Earl of Burlington, . 1731) Pop, . opposite, . ridicules bad taste in architecture and fine arts, . inherent order, . who have more money, . than taste,
. Lord Burlington, architect-reformer and an old friend of Pope, read the poem in the manuscript and approved its. 'Stupid' and used the occasion smashed a poem accusing Popa in zlonravii and ingratitude to the patrons. This poem, with three other Pop united in a series of experiments Moral (Moral Essays), one of the most exalted of his writings.

1733 is marked by the publication of several new significant works Popa, in t.ch. first in imitation of Horace (Imitations of Horace, 1733-1739) - his first satire of the second book. Content of the poem - the protection of satire and sharp criticism of corrupt politicians. Satire is presented here as a 'host of virtues', she should be free to express everything that he considers it necessary. Among the later imitations prominent among the product of Augustus. Imitation of the First Letter of the Second Book of Horace (The First Epistle of the Second Book of Horace Imitated: To Augustus, 1737). Laughter and sarcastic irony transform restrained praise of the divine Augustus in Horace veiled mockery of the Most August Georg II, British monarch fat. Popa ingenuity enables him, like Horace, to pretend that he just drew the attention of the international affairs of the sovereign engaged in the added value that brings artless poetry. The most famous poem of Pop modeled on imitations of Horace - Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot (An Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot, 1734).

The message was published after the great writing Popa Essay on Man (An Essay on Man, 1733-1734). This poem he published anonymously in order to deceive enemies, and brought in her philosophy that almost all was a surprise. In the epistle I universe is represented as a wonderful device, all of which are in perfect accord - because they so conceived and created by God. Epistle II deals with the essence of man, his self-love, virtue, and ruling his passions (the latter described as frankly, it shocked readers in spite of the author's intention). In the epistle III covers the interdependence of man and society, the development of mankind from primitive to civilized life, and in the epistle Pop IV argues that, happiness. How does the poem quite contradictory views, but as a brilliant, poetic reflection on the 'eternal' questions of philosophy, it may remain the best philosophical poem in literary history. This is the most ambitious creation Popa; on effects on the formation of interests and opinions of the general public before the end of 18. (and later) it can be compared with the magazine 'spectator' Dzh.Addisona. The fact that Pop has never been mention of Christianity, has made the poem into a kind of Bible deists of the time. Did Pop devout Catholic - another question, but a Catholic, he was more than a free-thinker, as amply demonstrated by the criticism of free-thinking in the Book IV Dunsiady.

Pop wrote excellent prose, but she has glorified him less than poetry, though in his time, he gained fame as the author of epistolary genre. Etiquette is not allowed when the publication of correspondence own, but Pop has managed to make it appear as though the first of his letters from afar the other person and he had no alternative, as in self-publish a 'real' texts. Letters (Letters) Pop came out in 1735, 1737 and 1742.

Pop called his life 'protracted illness', he really did not enjoy good health, but was usually active and lively of all responding. In winter 1743-1744 he began to develop inflammation of the kidneys and asthma. Pop died in his home May 30, 1744.