The Age of Enlightenment- Alexander Pope and His Works

By ANNIE221

  • The Age of Enlightenment begins

    The Age of Enlightenment begins around 1650. This time was also called "The Age of Reason". It stressed reason and science, and to challenge religion and faith.

  • Fact about Alexander Pope

    Throughout his life, Pope fancied many women. although he never married, he became close friends with a woman named Martha Blount, who was supposedly his lover.

  • Fact about Alexander Pope

    Alexander Pope is born in London to Alexander and Edith Pope. He is an only child. Pope was brought up in a Roman Catholic home in the time of the Church of England.

  • John Locke publishes "A Letter Concerning Toleration"

    John Locke publishes "A Letter Concerning Toleration", which stresses his fear of Catholicism taking over England. Locke had no intention of his letter being published, he sent it to a friend titled "Honoured Sir", who was really Philipp van Limborch.

  • Germany enters the Age of Enlightenment

    In the mid-1700's, Germany enters the Age of Enlightenment. Music, philosophy, science and literature were all seen as an intellectual force.

  • Age of Enlightenment begins to fall in England

    In 1700, the Age of Enlightenment begins to take a downfall. It leads into the French Revolutionof 1789. which was a was a period of social and political unrest in France.

  • Pope publishes "Pastorals"

    Pope has his first piece published, titled "Pastorals" in the sixth part of "Poetical Miscellanies". This piece was well recieved by the public and brought Pope fame.

  • Alexander Pope and friends form the Scriblerus Club

    Alexander Pope and his friends, John Gay, Jonathan Swift, Thomas Parnell and John Arbuthnot, formed the Scriblerus Club. This club pointed out the ignorance of a fictional scholar, Martinus Scriblerus.

  • Pope publishes "An Essay on Criticism"

    This poem took pope about three years to complete, and was published by a "nameless" author. Pope began this piece at the beginning of his career.

  • Pope publishes "Rape of the Lock"

    Pope publishes one of his most famous poems, The Rape of the Lock. The poem is considered a "mock-epic" about a lock of hair.

  • Joseph Addison publishes "Cato"

    With a bit of help from Alexander Pope, Joseph Addison publishes his play "Cato" in 1712. "Cato" is a tragedy and action play.

  • Pope begins writing "An Essay on Man"

    This poem is to be written in four parts, the first of which is started in the year of 1729. Pope published the first three parts in 1731.

  • Pope publishes "An Essay on Man"

    Pope's poem "An Essay on Man" is officially published. This poem consists of four couplets, the first three were completed in 1731. This was also published without a name, but in 1735 Pope calimed it.

  • Fact about Alexander Pope

    Alexander Ppe dies in Twickenham at age 56. His death was believed to hav ebeen caused by his failing health, which was probably a result of asthma and tuberculosis.

  • "An Essay on Man" is admired

    Jean-Jacques Rousseau writes a letter to Voltaire expressing his interest in the poem. He stated that the poem "softens my ills and brings me patience", while Voltaire states that it is "the most beautiful, the most useful, the most sublime didactic poem ever written in any language".