A nest of singing birds; Pope - A Survey; 17

A nest of singing birds. Three centuries of English verse with a doctorate from just. Alexander Pope since the early 19th century pope has often been accused of being dull of monotony of being shallow. But no one has denied that his verse is clear that it has in the language of his own day perspicuity heaven from all creatures hides the Book of Fate all but the page prescribed their present state from brutes what men from men what spirits know or who could suffer. Being here below the lamb Vajrayana Doom's to bleed today had he lived I reasoned would he skip and play pleased to the last. He crops the flowery food and licks the hand just raised to shed his blood. Oh blindness to the future. Kindly given that

each may fill the circle marked by Heaven who sees with equal I I was God of all I hear a parish or a sparrow fall atoms or systems into ruin heard and now a bubble burst and now a word hope humbly then with trembling pinions or wait the great teacher. Death and God adore. What future bliss he gives not lead to know but gives that hope to be thy blessing now. Hope springs eternal in the human breast. Man never is but always to be blessed. It was so uneasy and confined at home rests and expatiate in our life to come lo the poor

Indian who was untutored mind sees God in clouds or hears him in the wind. His SO PROUD science never thought to stray far as the solo walk or milky way. He had simple nature to his hope has given behind the cloud topped hill and humbler heaven some safer world in depths of woods embraced some happier island in the watery waste where slaves once more their native land behold no fiends torment. No Christians thirst for gold to be contents his natural desire. He asks no angel's wing no set us fire but thinks admitted to that equal sky. His faithful dog shall bear him company. That passage is certainly clear but is it poetry. How do we answer a question like that. What do we mean by poetry. Many

people know when they are reading or listening to what they accept as poetry without being able to define it satisfactorily. Strangely enough in the 18th century Dr. Johnson despite the fact that he could define poetry in his dictionary didn't say anything more cogent in pope's defense than if the pope is not a poet. Then where is poetry to be found. But I think we can define poetry satisfactorily and show that Pope is indeed a poet albeit a very lucid poet. Poetry or a poetic statement I would say is a statement which says more than one thing simple tenuously a poetic statement expresses in a few words in one statement a meaning which would require far more words when expressed in a series of separate non poetic statements. Heaven from all creatures hides the Book of Fate all but the page prescribed their present state from brutes what

men from men what spirits know or who could suffer. Being here below with the metaphor of the Book of Fate Pope says that the future of every living creature is known to God who shares with none. His full knowledge and those who live in this fallen world. Men and animals know only as much as is necessary. What is happening to them at any one time. Animals no less than man. Men less than angels. Animals could not tolerate their existence if they knew as much literal as it is of the future as men know could men survive here on the earth far beneath the heavens. If they knew as much of the future as angels then I used almost three times as many words as pope and I still didn't say everything that he says. I used 94 words he used 33

heaven from all creatures hides the Book of Fate all but the page prescribed their present state from brutes what men from men what spirits know or who could suffer. Being here below. What about these images. The Lamb via riot dooms to bleed today had he lived I reasoned would he skip and play. Pleased to the last he crops the flowery food and licks the hand just raised to shed his blood. Riot means debauchery over eating the Lamb who is marked for death today in order to satisfy human indulgence in overeating. If he were endowed with human reason would he be able to jump to and fro and enjoy himself. His ignorance keeps him happy until the very moment of death munching and cutting short the flower covered grass. He doesn't

recognise the slaughter as intention and actually licks as if it both food always friendly the hand which has been raised to kill him. Here again the state can say far more than this surface sense. The statements are poetic. This is poetry. So is this. Oh blindness to the future. Kindly given that each may fill the circle marked by Heaven who sees with equal I I was God of all I hear a parrot or a sparrow fall atoms or systems into ruin heard and now a bubble burst and now a word. In the rape of the lock pope implies a technique which might be confused with this and linking together of the magnificent and the treeview. What dya offense from amorous causes brings but mighty

contests rise from trivial things icing. Here's another example where the nymph should break Diana's little or some frail China job receive a floor to break Diana's law is to lose one's virginity. Here is some more or stain her honor or her new brocade forget her previous or miss a masquerade or lose her house and own necklace edible and in the rape of the log when the Baron has stolen the coup not allowed to shriek to pitying him that casts when husbands or when their dogs breathed their last. In those examples human beings a sense arise for treating the trivial as if it were important and the important as if it were trivial. But when pope writes of God he envisages the equality of a being immensely superior to all he has created. Here is no Saturn only or and reverence.

Oh blindness to the future. Kindly given that each may fill the circle marked by Heaven who sees with equal eye. I was God of all. I hear a parrot or a sparrow fall atoms or systems into ruin heard and now a bubble burst and now a word. The next line says a lot in few words. Hope. Humbly then with trembling pinions saw. Wait. The great teacher. Death and God adore. Do not want more than you or to the image here of trembling pinions. Now that was Pope to remind his reader of all those human beings who have hopes for too much like it of us. They have beaten borrowed wings strongly without trembling have tried to soar too high and have been dashed from the heights to destruction below. As we listen to

other passages from Pope I should have a chance of calling attention to his precision with language. He's amazingly accurate rhyming his smoothness of this if occasion combined with music and variety. His poetic statement is the result of an organization of language which says so much so presently. But before we leave this short treatment of some parts of the Essay on Man. Notice the way in which he sustains the development of an idea into a climax which ends a paragraph. Oh blindness to the future. Kindly given that each may feel the circle marked by Heaven who sees with equal I as God of all. I hear a parrot or a sparrow fall atoms or systems into ruin her arms now a bubble burst and now a word. Here's another superbly example.

Submit in this or any other sphere secured to be as blessed as thou canst. They're safe in the hand of one disposing power or in the natal all the mortal hour. All nature is but not unknown to the all chance direction which thou canst not see. All discord harmony not understood all partial evil universal good and spite of pride in erring reasons might one truth is clear. Whatever is is right was Pope shallow. Is this too superficial an attitude to the hardships of life to satisfy us in a major poet. If you think so I believe you ought to remember that the man who wrote that last line was a cripple who suffered physical and mental pain all his adult life. Perhaps we want him to parade his infirmity like Byron. But Pope prefers to say one truth

is clear. Whatever is is right. In the history of the West a few good poets have used their verse to preach a coherent and original philosophy. The three greatest in English Chaucer Shakespeare and Milton. Expound the religious and philosophical commonplaces of their contemporaries. Shakespeare says nothing original as a thinker. He makes us aware of the commonplace and imagine personal experience intensely imagined so that it strikes us as no longer commonplace Gloucester in King India agrees with Francis Bacon uncommon places concerning portents and his son Edmund repeats a commonplace doctrine shared by Thomas Aquinas. Listen to these four lines again. All nature is but art unknown to the all chance direction which thou canst not see. All discord harmony

not understood all partial evil universal good. They depend for their perfection upon antithesis which combines contrasting ideas and gives a balanced rhythm without monotony. The paradox of man is expressed Similarly in this passage. I know then that I self presume not God to scan the proper study of mankind is man placed on this is most of a middle state of being darkly wise and rudely great with too much knowledge for the skeptic side with too much weakness for the Stoics pride he hangs between endowed to act or rest in doubt to deem himself a god of the east and doubt his mind or body to prefer their own but to die and reasoning but too alike in ignorance his reason such whether he thinks too little or too much

chaos of thought and passion all confused still by himself abused or disabused. Created have to rise and have the great lord of all they have prayed so true and. The glory of the word want to be mentioned next. The rhyming to scan is man. What about this couplet in doubt his mind or body to prefer bone but to die and reasoning. But to not only do the rhyme sound right but their sense is perfect and the thought develops through the couplet. Of course man is not sure whether to prefer his body or his mind since the first is mortal and the second makes mistakes and commit sins. Then the thought develops further in

the next couple that I like in ignorance his reason sad whether he think too little or too much. Dependent upon so fallible a faculty of reason man's ignorance is unchanged whether he uses it to make room or too much. Again there is superbe combination of antithesis and rhyming in these lines created have to rise and have the great lord of all they have prayed to the rhyming words full and all come at the ends of their respective lines so naturally with such clarity. And the next two rhymes are just as good. So Judge of truth and. The Glory. Yes of the world. Before we hear the whole passage again I should point out that in the early eighteenth century

Rashed rhymed with beast they were pronounced rest best. No then the self presume not God to scan the proper study of mankind is man placed on this is most of the middle state of being darkly wise and rudely grey with too much knowledge for the sceptic side with too much weakness for the Stoics pride he hangs between endowed to act of rest and doubt to deem himself a god of the east and doubt his mind or body to prefer brawn but to die and reasoning but too alike in ignorance his reason such whether he thinks too little or too much chaos of thought and passion all confused still by himself abused or disabused created have to rise and have to fall.

Great Lord of all things yet a prey to all. So Judge of truth and endless. The glory jests and riddle of the world. A few moments ago I quoted this couplet. Created have to rise and have to fall. Great Lord of all. Yep great. Pope rhymes all unfold very successfully in another famous passage in the fourth book of the Dunciad. We have his vision of culture civilization itself destroyed by the barbarians the dunces once God turned chaos into order. Once the creating word said Let there be light and light was. But in this vision the god as done us brings chaos back again. Religion but I shing hides a sacred fire as an unaware as

morality expires. No public flame no private dares to shine no human spark is left nor glimpse Divine Love that I dread empire. Chaos is restored the light dies before the eye on creating word that I hand the great and lets the kitten full and universal darkness varies. I've mentioned pope's precision with language and his amazingly accurate rhyming. To appreciate how he normally writes We need to listen to something slightly different. Here's a good example. The very funny parody of an epic description of a famous weapon in the rape of the lock. But Linda draws her deadly bodkin. Now me Di fate incensed Belinda cried and drew a deadly Bodkin from her side. This thing he's ancient

personage to deck her great great grandson I wore about his neck in three steel rings which after melted down formed a vast buckle for his widow's gown her infant grand Dame's whistle nexted grew the bellow she jingled in the whistle blew. Then in a bodkin graced her mother's hair which long she wore. And now Belinda wears the fatuousness of the account is matched by a fatuousness of rhyming. The first couplet is almost normal. Now meet by fate. Incense Belinda cried and drew a deadly Bodkin from her side. But the next cup of tea is just padded the same in his ancient personage to deck her great great grandsire wore about his neck. If I leave out the padding you will see the same her great great grand sire wore about his neck. Again in the three seal rings which melted down formed a vast buckle for

his widow's gown. And now notice this couplet. Her infant grand Whistler next to Drew the bells she jingled and the whistle blew. What else would she do with the whistle. And I think the funniest touch comes with the use of the plural here as for hair and the superfluous ness of which long she wore. And now Belinda with is of course we know Belinda wears it now. Well how was she able to draw it from her side than in a bodkin graced him mother's hand which long she wore and now believed there were many a poet writes that were better than this. Seriously. But when Pope descends like this he does it deliberately as part of his parody. Now me Guy fate incensed Belinda cried Andrew with deadly Bodkin from her side the same his ancient personage to deck her great great grand sire wore about his neck in three steel

rings which after melted down formed of that buckle for his widow's gown. Her infant grand Dame's whistle nexted grew the bellow she jingled in the whistle blew. Then in a bodkin graced her mother's hairs which long she wore. And now Belinda wears. But now in this passage from earlier in the rape of a month each rhyming word seems to come naturally out of the sense. For ever Curtis could be this detested day which snatched my best my favorite curl away. Happy are ten times happy had I been if Hampton Court these eyes had never seen. Yet am not I the first mistaken made by love of courts to numerous ills betrayed. But Pope. But she's much variety and harmony by varying the position of this is euro in each line is well known. Just the same. Notice the variation

here. Forever cursed be this detested which matched my best and my favorite away happy 10 times happy had I been if Hampton caught these eyes had never seen. He also manages to set tune full of vowels and consonants next to one another. Avoiding ugliness hissing and having us here are a few examples drawn at random yet I am not I the first mistaken made. And like roses that in deserts bloom and die and where none none ever taste the hay. Oh had I rather an admired remained in some lone IO or distant. No than land where the gilded chariot never marks the way where none learn on ber none dare taste Boheme there

kept my charms concealed from two like roses that India has its bloom and what moved my mind with youthful Lords to roam. Oh Oh had I stayed and said my prayers at home it was this. The morning seemed to tell my youth from my trembling hand the patch box fell and tottering China ship without a wind Naipaul sat mute and shock was most unkind. Assume too warned me of the threats of fate in mystic visions now believed too late. See the poor remnants of these lighted hairs. My hand shall rend what even though I wrap line spares the scene to Sable ring let's talk. To break one's new beauties to this knowing.

This sister Locke now sits son Cooper alone and its bellows bait for sea so on it hangs the demands and temps once more by sac religious. Oh had the crew been content to see. Less insight. Or me his book is in his essay on criticism. Pope tells us something of his own standards most by numbers judge a poet song and smooth or rough with them is right or wrong in the bright news though I was in jams conspire. Her voice is all these two men for whose it my. Who haunt pine SS but to please there is not mend their minds as some to church repair not for the Doctrine but the music there. These equal syllables alone require those of the ear.

The open valves tire wide expletives there. People do join and 10 words off creep in one line. While they ring round the same man very Chinese with sure Britons of still expected rhymes. Where you find the cooling western breeze in the next line it whispers through the trees. If crystal streams with pleasing memories creep the reader is threatened not in vain with sleep then at the last and only couplet fraught with some meaning thing they call a thought a needless alexándra in the song that like a wounded snake drags its slow length along. He wants a line of easy victor joining strength and sweetness. True ease in writing comes from art not John's as those move easiest who have learned to dance. It is not enough no harshness gives

offense the sound must seem an echo to the sense soft is the strain when Zephyr gently blows and the smooth stream in smoother numbers flows. But when a loud surges will lash the sounding shore the hoarse rough verse should like the torrent roll. When Ajax strives some Rock's vast weight to throw the light into labors and the words move slow not so wince with Camilla's scours the plane flies all the unbending corn and streams along the main. Let's hear some of his verse again and judge him by his own standards. He is. Hope springs eternal from the Essay on Man. Heaven from all creatures hides the Book of Fate all but the page prescribed their present state from brutes what men from men what spirits know or who could suffer. Being here below the lamb via

riot dooms to bleed today had he lived I reasoned would he skip and play pleased to the last. He crops the flowery food and licks the hand just raised to shed his blood. Oh blindness to the future. Kindly given that each may fill the circle marked by Heaven who sees with equal eye. I was God of all I hear a parish or a sparrow fall atoms or systems into ruin heard and now a bubble burst and now a word. Hope humbly then with trembling pinions or wait the Great Teacher death and God. What future bliss he gives not the to know but gives that hope to be thy blessing now.

Hope springs eternal in the human breast. Man never is but always to be blessed. So more lines from the no than the i self presume God to the proper study of mankind is man placed on this is most of the middle state of being darkly wise and rudely great with too much knowledge for the skeptic side with too much weakness for the Stoics pride he hangs between. You have been listening to a programme on Alexander Pope. The first was read by Jonathan Walker and shot a devotee. This is going to be with us again next week. This program was produced by Radio Broadcast Services of the University of Washington under a

grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This is the national educational radio network.