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An Essay on Man is a philosophical essay written in heroic couplets by Alexander Pope, and published in pieces between 1732 and 1734. Pope intended for this poem to be a centerpiece of a proposed system of ethics to be put forth in poetic form, because of death, he was not able to complete it (Shareif). This literary work describes the order of the universe in terms of pecking order. Because humans have the ability to reason, we are placed above plants and animals on earths’ chain of command. The style of the poem expresses a ratifying action of faith based on there always being a silent form of calmness within a sea of chaos. Alexander Pope also means to express that man’s desires for wealth, power, and possessions equates to nothing when compared to the grand scheme of things.

Pope’s essay is divided into four epistles. The first epistle, <em>"Of the Nature and State of Man, with Respect to the Universe"</em> states that with mans limited perception of the world, one cannot know God’s divine plan (Finkelstein). The first epistle is an accumulation of Popes thoughts about God and human kind. It states that it is impossible for the humans to know what is to be, basically, humans should live in the present and not try to foretell the future and try to learn not to question the order of things and to accept the world as it is (Finkelstein). Epistle two <em>“Of the Nature and State of Man with Respect to Himself, as an Individual” </em>states that man’s presence in this realm of reality is exactly as it should be (Finkelstein). Pope is saying that man is doing what he is supposed to be doing: creating, discovering, inventing, etc. Perhaps Pope is trying to display his enjoyment on man’s role in the universe.  Epistle three <em>“Of the Nature and State of Man, with Respect to Society” </em>shows that man’s desire to improve himself helps society as a whole.  The last epistle, epistle four, <em>“Of the Nature and State of Man, with Respect to Happiness” </em>Dr. Finkelstein believes that Pope<em> </em>expresses his thoughts that “God has a balanced plan for the universe and by recreating that balance within himself, man can be happy.”

An enormous emphasis was placed on the ability to think and reason during the 18<sup>th</sup> century, which was also known as the Enlightenment or the Great Awakening. Charles II took the throne in 1658 after Oliver Cromwell died; he was welcomed by the majority of citizens. Charles then, started erasing all influences of Puritanism to bring back Roman Catholicism to England (Great-Awakening). As this revival of spirituality was ushered in, people were allowed to express their emotions and have a better connection with God. Whilst some were reveling in their new found connection with God, others started rebelling and started migrating to the New Light Camp. At the New Light Camp, the “New Lights” were taught a kind of anti-intellectualism and started going against the church and their teachings (Great-Awakening). Many people wondered about God and what their role in the universe was which led them to question the church. Alexander Pope’s thoughts in <em>Essay on Man </em>encompass three major concerns of the people during the Enlightenment. Pope addresses man's ability to reason and think for himself, he questions the church and the nature of Christianity, and he also speculates about man's place in the world (Essortment).

Pope’s thoughts in <em>Essay on Man</em> where very much similar and dissimilar to the thoughts of John Milton’s in his essay <em>Paradise Lost</em>. Pope’s work embodies a very deistic philosophy while Milton’s typifies the fearless dynamic and spirit of Christianity (Aldridge). The two scribblers’ different thoughts on God are shown throughout the two essays as well. In Pope’s essay, when he speaks of God he is merely speaking of the order of the universe. He examines good and evil to prove that the moral principle behind the universe is compassionate and kind. When Milton speaks of God, he is speaking of a more spiritual meaning, a way that insinuates at more mystical and ethereal forces as well as objective observation of the moral order (Aldridge). Pope’s God is a much unimpassioned force; he is not concerned with individuals in the world, but acts through ubiquitous laws. Milton, however, pays homage to God by proclaiming him to be the supreme overlord of all. Milton believes God is a real person and is takes interest in mankind (Aldridge).

<em>Essay on Man </em>and <em>Paradise Lost </em>have a similar object, Milton’s poem is intended to “justify the ways of God to men,” and Pope’s is designed to “vindicate the ways of God to man.” Pope and Milton both agree that man should not seek knowledge beyond his comprehension.  Milton agrees wholeheartedly with Pope that it is foolish and unwise to seek information about other worlds and planets. Milton and Pope, in order to justify the ways of God, had the same beliefs on this question: How can a just and benevolent God permit so much suffering and misery in the world? (Aldridge) They both believed in evil and spoke of it in their works. Although both thoughts of evil are different, it still comes down to them both believing in evil. Pope maintains the belief that moral evil does not exist and that natural evil, such as: earthquakes, famine, etc., partial evil is really universal good. Instead of denying evil in the world, Milton affirms it. Milton believes that Satan, like God, is a spiritual force that is interfering with mankind (Aldridge).

Pope’s <em>Essay on Man</em> was held in high regard from notable figures such as Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Immanuel Kant and met with international acclaim upon publication in 1734 (eNotes). However, “Essay on Man” soon gave way to controversy by pulpitarians and metaphysicians who noted challenges and threats in the poem’s themes to their respective government. These critics determined that its values were essentially poetic and not philosophical by any means. Within fifty years of its publication, the prevailing critical opinion of the poem mirrored that of Samuel Johnson, who noted, “Never were penury of knowledge and vulgarity of sentiment so happily disguised” (eNotes). Even though Pope’s poem is perceived as being fundamentally flawed, both aesthetically and philosophically, critics would like to retrieve this piece from the dustbin of literary history and reevaluate the poem’s ideas to see where Pope derived his theodicy from the various philosophical and theological positions held by his intellectual peers (eNotes). I account for the differences of perception of Pope’s work in his time and now by realizing that the <em>Essay on Man</em> was commonplace in the 18<sup>th</sup> century thus making it perceived with less enthusiasm than it is now.

I would like to withdraw my proposal for this literary piece to be saved for future generations. I believe that there are other literature works falling under the same category and time period that have more of an impact than <em>Essay on Man </em>does.  What I got from this reading was a diffused feeling of benightedness, I know something was said, I just wasn’t getting it. Also, I do not have the same opinion as Pope when it comes to religion; I like Milton’s theory more. Furthermore, while I see Pope’s thoughts of man being limited and fixed, I believe in the progressive development of man. I just don’t agree with most things Alexander Pope wrote in <em>Essay on Man</em>.

<span style="text-decoration: underline">Works Cited:</span>

"An Essay on Man, Alexander Pope - Introduction." Literary Criticism (1400-1800). Ed. Thomas J.Schoenberg. Vol. 64. Gale Cengage, 2001. eNotes.com. 15 Oct, 2012

<span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.enotes.com/an-essay-man-criticism/an-essay-man-alexander-pope/introduction</span>

This is a website I found that helped me with the figure out what the reception of <em>Essay of Man </em>was then and is now.

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Dr. Finkelstein, H.M, “Alexander Pope: An Essay on Man.”  1999 - 2010. Web.  12 April 2010

<span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.new-wisdom.org/cultural_history2/4-neo-classicism/pope.htm</span>

This website helped me sort out the individual epistles.

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Aldridge, Alfred. " Milton’s and Pope’s Conception of God and Man." <em>Bibliotheca Sacra</em>. 096.384 (1939): 445-458. Print.

<span style="text-decoration: underline">https://www.galaxie.com/article/3430</span>

This journal entry, on the web, helped me find comparisons between Milton and Pope’s work.

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"Alexander Pope And His Essay On Man." <em>Essortment</em>. N.p., 2011. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.

<span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.essortment.com/alexander-pope-his-essay-man-61315.html</span>

I found a little bit of info. I could use to add to the religious happenings in the 18<sup>th</sup> century paragraph.

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"Analysis and Information on the First Great Awakening." <em>Great-Awakening.com</em>. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.

<span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.great-awakening.com</span>

I found info. about what has happening religiously in the 18<sup>th</sup> century.

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"From Metaphysical to Pre-Romantic Poetry." Free forum : Dalal Al Shareif. Page 19. Dalal Al Shareif, n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.

<span style="text-decoration: underline">http://uqu.edu.sa/files2/tiny_mce/plugins/filemanager/files/4281259/143333.pdf</span>

I used this website to help me find out when <em>Essay on Man</em> was written.

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