Alexander Pope

Often termed the first truly professional poet in England, Pope had an acute awareness of the traditions he inherited and a clear vision of where he stood in literary history. In this representative selection of Pope's most important work, Pat Rogers presents all the major poems and a characteristic sample of his prose, including satires, pamphlets, and periodical writing. Pope's criticism is represented by the influential preface to his edition of Shakespeare, and the personal side of his work is illustrated by his wide-ranging correspondence and short passages from his conversations with Joseph Spence. With a fine introduction, substantial annotation, and full biographical appendix, this volume presents texts chronologically, setting them properly within Pope's career.