Pope's Essay on Criticism

¶ … Pope asserts that faulty criticism is a vice, one that is potentially dangerous because of its powerful influence on the general public.

Good taste is as rare as true genius.

Most people are born with some degree of good taste.

Education can corrupt good taste.

Many people with good education but poor judgment become critics.

It is important to know the range and limits of one's taste.

The best determinant of good judgment is natural law.

The rules of criticism and of Art itself are akin to the laws of Nature.

The rules of meritorious work can be gleaned from the ancient (classical) poets.

The good critic studies ancient poets, especially Homer and Virgil

The ancients were not perfect, but their works are wondrous in their entirety and deserving of praise and reverence.

Paraphrase Lines 1-27

It is difficult to determine whether it is harder to write well or to criticize well; skill in either is rare. Regardless, it is far less dangerous to be a bad writer than it is to be a faulty critic. Uneducated criticism is misleading, while poor writing only bores people. Many people are willing to criticize writers; even a fool can try.

Every person is entitled to an opinion. Just as each watch tells a slightly different time, so too is each opinion different. Moreover, everyone believes in their own opinion as being superior to others'. Genuine good taste in a critic is as rare as true genius is in the world of poetry. Both good taste and true genius come from the heavens.

Those who excel in their representative field, whether writing or criticism, should share their gifts with the world. Both artists and critics think most highly of their own work.

Most people have a propensity to criticize; it is a natural process. However, bad education can mar good sense and taste, sullying the innate critical gift. There are many different schools of thought, and people can become easily confused and misled. Like dilettantes, many vacuous, foolish people desire to be witty and bright but have little good taste or sense. To defend their own spurious knowledge, they become critics. By criticizing others, they attempt to make up for their lack.

Summary of Lines 95-140

Alexander Pope begins his lengthy lauding of ancient Greek poetry, saying that all aspiring artists should emulate their examples. The poetry of the ancients is divinely inspired, and the whole world should appreciate it for its merit. Those who do not properly understand it are prone to becoming critics. Moreover, because they cannot measure up to the status of the Greeks, they criticize the masters for their lack of talent. Doing this ruins not only the study of literature but the art of criticism. Many critics go so far as to proscribe writing skills that are based on their misguided knowledge.

People with good judgement recognize the majesty of the Greeks. The only way to truly appreciate the works of the masters is to study them in their entirety and also to place them in context: learn about the lives and times of the poets. Otherwise, a critic has no grounds for negative comments.

The ancient Greeks epitomize the pinnacle of poetry and should be approached in a reverential manner; Homer's work approximates Nature in its beauty.

Summary of Lines 253-288

Pope asserts that there is no such thing as a faultless work. If a piece of writing is well-executed, then even trivial faults will not mar its beauty. In fact, sometimes it is necessary to commit small infractions in order to avoid the more glaring, significant mistakes.

The merit of a work is largely determined by the intentions of its author. Therefore, the writer's intended meaning should be taken into account when passing judgment on a work. In other words, Pope avers the need to look at the big picture, rather than mistaking the forest for the trees. Unfortunately, many critics focus on tiny, insignificant details, and then deny that they do so.

Pope relays the story about La Mancha's knight, a poor critic who can't imagine a piece of writing without a battle scene. When confronted with a play without a combat scene, the knight reacts with horror. Although the play is fine, he tells the author to rewrite it or at least perform it on a field so that an actual battle can take place. This story illustrates the poor judgment that some critics have, by focusing too much on minutia and missing the point of the work.

Summary of Lines 337-373

Pope expounds on the significance of meter in determining the merit of a work. It is essential that a good piece of poetry be pleasing to the ear, like music. Often, the sound of a poem is as important, if not more, than the content. Pope uses an analogy of a church: people often come to hear the music inside, rather than to listen to the doctrine.

Bad writers use meaningless words just to fill their quota of feet per measure or to force rhymes. Many poems are therefore flat or predictable or dull to the ear. Gifted writers are like craftsmen; they must work hard and finely hone their work. The words do not simply appear on the page. Just as a good dancer must be trained, a writer has to learn how to write well. Finally, the meter of a poem should reflect the content and mood of the words. Good poets can make tenseness, joy, swiftness, or struggles audible.