Alexander Pope and Christianity - 1360 Words

C.M. The Influence of Christianity in Essay on Man Alexander Pope is an eighteenth century writer who spent most of his life suffering. He had a rare form of tuberculosis which left him in constant pain. As a result of this disease, he never grew very tall. He was only about four and a half feet tall and he also experienced migraines (Greenblatt 2714). Despite all of Pope’s impediments, he managed to write Essay on Man which portrays an extremely optimistic outlook on life. Although Pope says that he â€Å"avoids all specifically Christian doctrines,† it is doubtful that he would have this same optimistic outlook without his Christian upbringing (2714). Even though Pope’s Essay on Man is universal, applying to Christian and†¦show more content†¦Also, in Romans 3:23, it says, â€Å"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God† (Romans 3:23). Both of these quote are affirming that all men sin which therefore means they are imperfect. I n Section 4 of Epistle 1 of Essay on Man, it talks about how man is ignorant of the future which therefore allows him to be hopeful. In line 85 it states, â€Å"O blindness to the future! Kindly given† (2716.1.85). Not knowing what our future holds allows us to instill our faith in God. Even though we do not know what the future holds for us, God does. Since God knows our future, we put our faith in him that if we live correctly, everything will turn out just how it is supposed to be which is hopefully exactly how we want it to be. Jeremiah 29:11 declares, â€Å"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end† (Jeremiah 29:11). God tells us his plans for us are good. We trust and believe in him so we trust and believe our futures are filled with greatness. Pride is a sin and brings humans misery in both Essay on Man and The Bible. In Essay on Man, Pope writes, â€Å"In pride, in r easoning pride, our error lies† (2717.1.123). Being prideful is a fault that humans possess. Man is always trying to gain more knowledge and try to reach perfection. Perfection cannot be achieved so this pride actuallyShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Rape Of The Lock By Alexander Pope1134 Words   |  5 Pagesthe lives of everyday people? Words can wound, words can heal, but most importantly, words have purpose. To Alexander Pope, writing critical satire was worth being called a â€Å"hump-backed toad† (Cody). Even though Alexander Pope was only four and a half feet tall due to his medical problems, his words made him a giant that left his footprint in the writing world (â€Å"Alexander Pope†). Alexander Pope uses brilliant, biting satire in The Rape of the Lock to effectively point out the vices in 18th century EnglandRead MoreMedieval Vs. Medieval Era1506 Words   |  7 Pagesfall of Rome to barbarian tribes. 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Even though the library was confuted and damagedRead MoreA Modest Rape : The Eighteenth Century And The Power Of Satire1715 Words   |  7 Pagesfaà §ade of moral and political supremacy. British satirists, such as Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope, aimed to expose their society’s shortcomings, and to ridicule centuries of conditioned thought. Although Pope and Swift used different mediums to present their satire, they both focused on the ludicrous aspects of British nobility, and found ways to point out their morally corrupt standards of living. In Alexander Pope’s poem The Rape of the Lock, he criticizes the fallacies of vanity in the upper