Pope's Horatian Mask

Abstract

Alexander Pope’s early use of Horatian satire and his imitations of Horace’s works are well known, yet the motivations behind the relationship remain under-examined. I argue that Pope consciously manipulates his and Horace’s relationship in order to protect and further his self-interests, using Horace as a mask to cover his more aggressive satire. I begin by exploring Horace’s reception in early eighteenth-century England, before exploring the difference between Horace the moralist and Horace the satirist. I document Pope’s career as he progresses from Horatian moral works, to mild Horatian satire, before moving to more aggressive satire separate from Horace’s influence. Examples of this progression take the reader through Pope’s major works before focusing on The Imitations of Horace.  I analyze the satire, irony, and motivations of these in the context of Pope’s artistic development. By grounding the examination of Pope’s partnership with Horace in both a historical framework and a critical one, I aim to explore a relationship that defined Pope’s career and provide deeper context for many of Pope’s major works.