Project Gutenberg 2005-02-01 Public domain in the USA. 1476 Pope, Alexander 1688 1744 Barnivelt, Esdras An Essay on Criticism Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Essay_on_Criticism Produced by Ted Garvin, David Garcia and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. "An Essay on Criticism" by Alexander Pope is a philosophical poem written in the early 18th century, a time marked by the Enlightenment. This work is largely a reflection on the nature of poetry and the principles of literary criticism, articulating what constitutes good writing and good judgment. It is constructed in verse, showcasing both the poetic form and the critical framework that Pope believes should guide writers and critics alike. In this essay, Pope explores the delicate relationships between creativity, judgment, and the inherent qualities of nature in shaping art. He discusses themes such as the fallibility of human judgment, the importance of adhering to natural principles in poetry, and the dangers posed by pride and ignorance. Through various observations and examples, he underscores the necessity of understanding the craft while also pursuing a balance between strict adherence to rules and the creative liberties that great poets embody. By the end of the poem, Pope aims to provide insights not just for critics but for anyone engaged in artistic expression, urging humility and seriousness in both creation and critique. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 71.1 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Criticism Poetry -- Early works to 1800 PR Text Category: Poetry Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches Category: British Literature 98714 2025-08-03T11:20:56.421945 text/html 94740 2015-02-07T21:23:10 text/html 109443 2025-08-03T11:21:01.840958 application/epub+zip 109001 2025-08-03T11:20:59.118939 application/epub+zip 88735 2025-08-03T11:20:57.982995 application/epub+zip 218829 2025-08-03T11:21:03.745971 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 201796 2025-08-03T11:21:01.199978 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 177028 2022-09-04T05:53:35.472124 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 76087 2025-08-03T11:20:55.877964 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 76350 2015-02-07T21:23:02 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18726 2025-08-03T11:21:03.877921 application/rdf+xml 13459 2025-08-03T11:20:58.480002 image/jpeg 3566 2025-08-03T11:20:58.232974 image/jpeg 33913 2015-02-07T21:24:56 application/octet-stream application/zip 31292 2015-02-07T21:24:56 application/octet-stream application/zip 107241 2025-08-03T11:20:56.429976 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia