Write Your Man Essay with the Help of the Comments and Explanations about Alexander Pope’s Essay On Man

Alexander Pope wrote the poem “Essay on Man” in a very rhythmic verse, today as it is considered a bit odd that someone writes a poem but back in eighteenth century it wasn’t. There were two reasons merely for adopting this style of writing. First, he was convinced by the fact that the percepts of maxims written in such a way grab the reader’s attention. Secondly, he thought this could help him express his feelings in an easy and shorter way in his man essay.
Here, I am providing some comments and explanations about the expressions Alexander Pope has reflected in his man essay which will help students a lot in writing their man essays.

Epistle 2:

Alas what wonder! Man's superior part
Uncheck'd may rise and climb from art to art;
But when his own great work is but begun,
What Reason weaves, by Passion is undone.

Comments:

Alexander Pope opened his epistle 2 in the same ways as he opened the last one. He has questioned the responsibilities of a man who lies between beast and God. A man when experience a time between his birth and death goes through a bedlam of passion and thoughts in his life. He doesn’t know where to go and what to do, all he knows is his passion. Therefore, his passion becomes the reason to live.

Two Principles in human nature reign;
Self-love, to urge, and Reason, to restrain;
...
Self-love still stronger, as its objects nigh;
Reason's at distance, and in prospect lie:

 

Comments:

A man is governed by his passion, self love and the urge to complete his wishes in the world, while ignoring the large pressing issues that he has to deal with after his death.

What can she more than tell us we are fools?
Teach us to mourn our nature, not to mend.
A sharp accuser but a helpless friend!
As, in some well-wrought picture, light and shade
And oft so mix, the diff'rence is too nice,
Where ends the virtue, or begins the vice.
...
And virtuous and vicious ev'ry man must be,
Few in the extreme, but all in the degree;

Comments:

In a man’s life, he is always driven by his passion. However, a person leans through his bad experiences that it is not always good to live for your passions. He has compares two things in man’s life, that is, passion and reason. However, reason usually comes second.

Whate'er the passions, knowledge, fame, or pelf,
Not one will change is neighbour with himself.
The learn'd is happy nature to explore,
The fool is happy that he knows no more;
The rich is happy in the plenty given,
The poor contents him with the care of Heaven,
See the blind beggar dance, the cripple sing
The sot a hero, lunatic a king;
The starving chemist in his golden views
Supremely bless'd, the poet in his Muse.

Comments:

Each person thinks whatever he has achieved is important while the things associated with the other people don’t have any importance. Rich person is so happy in his life as he has given so much while the poor has to be contented for whatever he has been given and thinks he would be rewarded in the heaven if not here.