Essay interpretation man

Indeed, the entire poem is based on the idea that order and knowledge can benefit all aspects of human existence. However, Pope's use of the cosmos as a model to teach humanity how to live also reflects the Enlightenment's emphasis on combining rationality with virtue and humility.

An Essay on Man consists of four epistles, which is a term that is historically used to describe formal letters directed to a specific person. The first epistle looks at man's relation to the universe in order to present the concept of harmony that is referred to throughout the rest of the poem.

This lesson will look at Alexander Pope's 'An Essay on Man.' We will consider its context, form, meaning, and the ways in which it reflects the mindset of the thinkers of the 18th century. 'Hope springs eternal in the human breast' (I.95) writes Alexander Pope in his famous poem An Essay on Man.

Iambs are metrical feet that have two syllables, with one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable, as in 'belong' or 'along' or 'away.' Heroic couplets had been used for hundreds of years before An Essay on Man was written and were associated with lofty and epic poetry.