33 pages 1 hour read

Alexander Pope

An Essay on Criticism

Nonfiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1711

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Essay Topics

1.

Develop an argument about how Alexander Pope uses the rhyming (or heroic) couplet to show that the form of a poem can develop its message or content.

2.

The poem uses recurring images of medicine, the body, and health to develop its themes. Consider how it uses these images and what they add to its meaning.

3.

What reasons does Pope give for wanting to offer an essay on the subject of literary criticism and poetry? How does his argument flow from those motivations?