“Dryden and Pope are not classics
of our poetry; they are classics of our prose.”
This is how Arnold evaluates Dryden and Pope. He gives Thomas Gray a greater position. He says that Gray is our poetical classics of
the 18th century. Along with
the names of Dryden and Pope, Matthew Arnold mentions the name of Robert
Burns. Burns’ English poems are simple
to read. But the real Burns is of course
in his Scotch poems. His poems deal with
Scotch way of life, scotch drinks, scotch religion and Scotch manners. A Scotch man may be familiar with such
things, but for an outsider these may sound personal. For supreme practical success more is
required. In the opinion of Arnold,
Burns comes short of the high seriousness of the great classics, something is
wanting in his poetry. In his comparative study Arnold gives Chaucer
a better position. The world of Chaucer
is fairer, richer and more significant than that of Burns.
Showing posts with label Pope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pope. Show all posts
00054--Discuss Alexander Pope's concept of Wit.
In An Essay on Criticism, Pope defines Wit thus:
"True wit is Nature to advantage dressed,
What oft was thought, but ne'er so well express'd."
Elaborating this definition Pope wrote in a letter to a friend that "true wit is a justness of thought and a felicity of expression, or propriety." False wit on the other hand, is what "concept is to nature, or paint is to beauty." Referring to false wit, Pope writes:
"Some to conceit alone their taste confine,
And glittering thoughts struck out at every line".
Wit is intimately bound up with the extra sensory experience, with the creative freedom of imagination and invention:
"Fools admire, but men of sense approve."
Men of sense put to the test the truths expressed. At the same time People wants "the generous pleasure to be charmed with wit". Thus wit is intimately bound up with the extra sensory experience with the creative freedom of imagination and invention. The ideal critic is "blest with a taste exact, yet unconfined."
Wit is the spark or fire of poetic genius. This spark invigorates the composition and gives life and vitality to it. Then the poem involves fire, invention and imagination. The author needs sense and judgement because they provide the stuff; but it is wit which makes the work truly a work of art. In other words, it is wit which makes a poem poetical. However, wit needs proper training. This training involves a study of the rules and a careful study of "each Ancient's proper character". Thus wit is the power to find or evolve a form of expression that can embody effectively what it conceives. It charms us as it makes us wiser.
00053--Discuss Pope's concept of Judgement of literary criticism.
In the Essay on Criticism Pope states the principles of judgement which an ideal critic must follow in evaluating a literary work. In the first place, he says that a literary work must be judged and evaluated as a whole, not in parts. No single part should be separated from the whole. Beauty depends on the context and totality of impression. Separated from the whole, a part may even appear 'monstrous and misshaped'. It is the same in literature as in human beauty:
"This not the lip, or eye, we beauty call,
But the joint force and full result of all."
Further, judgement should not be conditioned by one's prejudices or biases against or in favour of any author or his work. He can best describe the beauties of literary work who can best feel them. The reader or the critic must pay due regard to the feeling behind the work. We must consider the aim or the intention of the author.
Wit and judgement go united. With always has within it an elementary power of judgement. This power has to be developed. This is possible through a deep study of the rules which express the practice of the great poets of antiquity. This study strengthens and refines one's faculty of taste and judgement.
Balanced judgement can be passed only by a critic who is just and fearless. However, true judgement must be expressed not bluntly and directly, but persuasively.
00052--Write a note on Alexander Pope's concept of "Nature".
Pope's concept of "Nature" was very different from the concept of the Romantic poets like Wordsworth, Shelley or Keats. Wordsworth gave the call to "return to nature", while Pope exhorted man to "follow nature". Both these concepts are diametrically opposed to each other. To Wordsworth nature was the external phenomenon of the universe; to Pope nature was uncorrupted human nature controlled by reason and approved by tradition. Pope spoke of "nature still, but nature methodized". To Pope nature means reason and commonsense. He says that the rules framed by the ancients were rules of nature and poetry must submit to them. This became the guiding principles of Pope and he strongly asserted 'to learn the ancient rules' for 'copying nature is to copy them'.
Wit, taste and rules are all bound up with nature. Thus the dictum 'follow nature' meant to follow the moral law which is the central reality. But even this concept of nature is bound up with its own laws:
"Nature, like liberty, is but restrained
This nature is the fruitful source of life, the source of the inner light of intelligence. Hence it sees things as in themselves they really are, and judges them correctly.
00051--What are the qualifications of an ideal critic according to Alexander Pope?
1. Discussing the qualifications of an ideal critic, Pope begins with the remarks that only a poet can be an ideal critic:
"Let such teach others who themselves excel,
And censure freely who have written well".
And censure freely who have written well".
He further says about a poet and critic:
"Both must alike from heaven derive their light, those born to judge, as well as those to write".
"Both must alike from heaven derive their light, those born to judge, as well as those to write".
Divine inspiration is essential equally to the critic and the poet:
"A perfect judge will reach each work of wit
With the same spirit that its author writ".
2. The critic and the poet should both have wit, taste and judgment in equal measure. All the same, the ideal critic is aware of his limitations. He knows "how far his genius, taste, and learning go". He will not launch "beyond his depth".
3. Furthermore, the ideal critic would not be guided only by the prescribed rules. He should have an instinctive sense to feel and understand the nameless graces which no methods or principles can teach. He has the taste to notice "a grace beyond the reach of art". His judgements are well nourished and developed.
4) He is not satisfied with ' a little learning' which is 'a dangerous thing'.
5) He is blessed with an exact taste and has knowledge of books and humanity in right proportions. He is:
"Generous to converse, a soul exempt from pride,
And love to praise, with reason on his side."
And love to praise, with reason on his side."
6) The ideal critics duty is to give advice. He is pleased to teach and he oaught to be proud of his knowledge yet he should be unbiased and unprejudiced. In the true spirit of literary criticism there are no friends or foes. So Pope says:
"Modestly bold, and humanely severe,
Who to a friend his faults can freely show,
And gladly praise the merit of a foe."