What Ever Happened to... Alexander Pope

Abstract

Alexander Pope was a celebrity of his time. He suffered a great deal of disadvantage, yet he rose to fame, partly by engaging in behaviour we might label “trolling.” After his death, there was a severe decline in his popularity, when he was no longer culturally significant. His work required a revival, which occurred in the late nineteenth century. However, each age, including our own, sees through its own critical lens. This essay explores the perils of posterity and assesses the possibility of genuine historicist criticism.