Alexander pope an essay on man epistle 1 analysis

In the Argument of Epistle 2, Pope states its topic: "Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Himself, as an Individual." Its stanzas will cover the following ideas: Man's business is to study himself, not God. Humans are governed by two principles, self-love and reason; both are necessary.

As a proponent of the doctrine of free will, Pope’s personal opinions seem at odds with his philosophical conclusions in the first epistle. Reconciling Pope’s own views with his fatalistic description of the universe represents an impossible task. The first epistle of An Essay on Man is its most ambitious.

Having spent most of the first epistle describing man’s relationship to God as well as his fellow creatures, Pope’s true meaning of the phrase is clear. He then confuses the issue by endeavoring to convince man to avoid the presumptuousness of studying God’s creation through natural science.

Pope concludes the first epistle with the statement “Whatever is, is right,” meaning that all is for the best and that everything happens according to God’s plan, even though man may not be able to comprehend it (294). Here is a section-by-section explanation of the first epistle: