Experience of Man

The great English poet Alexander Pope (1688–1744) is considered one of the most prominent and significant representatives of English classicism. His work encompasses all the richness of theories and concepts of the Enlightenment era. "Essay on Man" (1733–34) is a philosophical didactic poem written in heroic couplets. It is addressed to Pope's friend, the famous British statesman of the early 18th century, Viscount Henry Bolingbroke (1678–1751). According to Pope, man is a unique creation of God, located at the center of the Universe. Man embodies both the spiritual and the material, which is why he acts in two worlds and is equally significant for them. The English poet represented the Universe as a ladder ascending to God; the movement of man upward along it is described in the poem presented for your attention. Deep philosophy and engagement are the main virtues of this work, translated into Russian in the mid-18th century.