An Essay on Man

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1734

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Summary

Background

Epistle Summaries & Analyses

Epistle 1

Epistle 2

Epistle 3

Epistle 4

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Meter and Form

Pope wrote “An Essay on Man” as both a philosophical essay and lyric poem. He uses the heroic couplet to express abstract ideas about human nature, society, and God. In a heroic couplet, each pair of two lines perfectly rhymes, and each line is written in iambic pentameter. Iambic pentameter is a meter where each line has ten syllables or beats (or five “feet”), and each beat consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Iambic pentameter is one of the most popular metrical forms from this era. Many poets wrote epics of the past in iambic pentameter, which is how the form came to be known as the “heroic” couplet.

The rhyme scheme throughout Pope’s poem is AABBCCDD, with every two lines a perfect, closed rhyme. Pope also uses enjambment, or the continuation of a sentence beyond the end of a line. The sections are called epistles, or letters. They are all addressed to Henry St. John, Pope’s close friend and philosophical inspiration. Each epistle focuses on a single topic, with each broken up into sections focusing on one sub-topic. This highly orderly approach is characteristic of Pope’s Neoclassical style.

Epigram

Pope is famous for his epigrams, or witty, concise remarks. His heroic couplets lend themselves to statements that express insights with maximum concision. One of his most quoted epigrams, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast” (Lines 95-96), is in the first epistle of “An Essay on Man.” Through this line, the poem’s speaker shows that hope is always renewed. They express the view that God gave humans an infinite supply of hope to endure the doubts and sufferings inherent to life on earth.

Another epigram is repeated three times in “Essay on Man”—"Whatever is, is right” (Epistle 1, Line 294). This expresses the poem’s philosophy of eternal optimism and trust as a reflection of God’s wisdom. Another notable epigram is in Epistle 2: “On life’s vast ocean diversely we sail/Reason the card, but passion is the gale” (Lines 107-108). Here, the speaker captures the idea that passion is a strong wind that pushes people toward action, while reason is the “card” (Line 108) that guides them. Passion gives vibrancy to life and is an essential aspect of human virtue: Reason teaches people what to want, while passion gives people the drive to pursue their desires.

Antithesis

The speaker uses antithesis to explore the many paradoxical aspects of human nature. Antithesis is the “contrasting or combining [of] two terms, phrases, or clauses with opposite meanings.” (“Glossary of Poetic Terms, Antithesis,” Poetryfoundation.org.)

The speaker says that “some, sunk to beasts, find pleasure end in pain/Some, swelled to Gods, confess even virtue vain” (Epistle 4, Lines 23-24). The speaker highlights the contradictions inherent in human nature. They point out that people can lower themselves to animals, but are mistaken if they believe that they are like God. The opposition between “beasts” and “Gods” captures the idea that people are wrong if they feel infallible, but also wrong if they lower themselves to instinct and seek pleasure without moderation.

The speaker says that every person has virtues and vices. They describe the moderate quality of most people using antithesis: “Few in th’ extreme, but all in the degree” (Epistle 2, Line 232). The contrast of “few” with “all” explains their belief: Most people exist somewhere between their good qualities and bad. Few people are on the extreme, and most have at least a few redeeming traits, as well as a few negative ones.