An Essay on Criticism.docx

An Essay on Criticism.docx

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AnEssayonCriticism

AnEssayonCriticism

AlexanderPope

'Tishardtosay,ifgreaterWantofSkill

AppearinWritingorinJudgingill,

But,ofthetwo,lessdang'rousisth'Offence,

TotireourPatience,thanmis-leadourSense:

Somefewinthat,butNumberserrinthis,

TenCensurewrongforonewhoWritesamiss;

AFoolmightoncehimselfaloneexpose,

NowOneinVersemakesmanymoreinProse.

'TiswithourJudgmentsasourWatches,none

Gojustalike,yeteachbelieveshisown.

InPoetsastrueGeniusisbutrare,

TrueTasteasseldomistheCritick'sShare;

BothmustalikefromHeav'nderivetheirLight,

TheseborntoJudge,aswellasthosetoWrite.

Letsuchteachotherswhothemselvesexcell,

Andcensurefreelywhohavewrittenwell.

AuthorsarepartialtotheirWit,'tistrue,

ButarenotCritickstotheirJudgmenttoo?

Yetifwelookmoreclosely,weshallfind

MosthavetheSeedsofJudgmentintheirMind;

Natureaffordsatleastaglimm'ringLight;

TheLines,tho'touch'dbutfaintly,aredrawnright.

ButastheslightestSketch,ifjustlytrac'd,

IsbyillColouringbutthemoredisgrac'd,

SobyfalseLearningisgoodSensedefac'd.

Somearebewilder'dintheMazeofSchools,

AndsomemadeCoxcombsNaturemeantbutFools.

InsearchofWittheselosetheircommonSense,

AndthenturnCriticksintheirownDefence.

Eachburnsalike,whocan,orcannotwrite,

OrwithaRival'soranEunuch'sspite.

AllFoolshavestillanItchingtoderide,

Andfainwou'dbeupontheLaughingSide;

IfMaeviusScribbleinApollo'sspight,

Thereare,whojudgestillworsethanhecanwrite

SomehaveatfirstforWits,thenPoetspast,

Turn'dCriticksnext,andprov'dplainFoolsatlast;

SomeneithercanforWitsnorCritickspass,

AsheavyMulesareneitherHorseorAss.

Thosehalf-learn'dWitlings,num'rousinourIsle,

Ashalf-form'dInsectsontheBanksofNile:

Unfinish'dThings,oneknowsnowwhattocall,

TheirGeneration'ssoequivocal:

Totell'em,wou'dahundredTonguesrequire,

OronevainWit's,thatmightahundredtire.

ButyouwhoseektogiveandmeritFame,

AndjustlybearaCritick'snobleName,

BesureyourselfandyourownReachtoknow.

HowfaryourGenius,Taste,andLearninggo;

LaunchnotbeyondyourDepth,butbediscreet,

AndmarkthatPointwhereSenseandDulnessmeet.

Naturetoallthingsfix'dtheLimitsfit,

Andwiselycurb'dproudMan'spretendingWit:

AsontheLandwhileheretheOceangains,

InotherPartsitleaveswidesandyPlains;

ThusintheSoulwhileMemoryprevails,

ThesolidPow'rofUnderstandingfails;

WhereBeamsofwarmImaginationplay,

TheMemory'ssoftFiguresmeltaway.

OneScienceonlywilloneGeniusfit;

SovastisArt,sonarrowHumanWit;

NotonlyboundedtopeculiarArts,

Butoftinthose,confin'dtosingleParts.

LikeKingswelosetheConquestsgain'dbefore,

ByvainAmbitionstilltomakethemmore:

Eachmighthissev'ralProvincewellcommand,

Wou'dallbutstooptowhattheyunderstand.

FirstfollowNATURE,andyourJudgmentframe

ByherjustStandard,whichisstillthesame:

UnerringNature,stilldivinelybright,

Oneclear,unchang'dandUniversalLight,

Life,Force,andBeauty,musttoallimpart,

AtoncetheSource,andEnd,andTestofArt

ArtfromthatFundeachjustSupplyprovides,

WorkswithoutShow,andwithoutPomppresides:

InsomefairBodythusth'informingSoul

WithSpiritsfeeds,withVigourfillsthewhole,

EachMotionguides,andev'ryNervesustains;

Itselfunseen,butinth'Effects,remains.

Some,towhomHeav'ninWithasbeenprofuse.

Wantasmuchmore,toturnittoitsuse,

ForWitandJudgmentoftenareatstrife,

Tho'meanteachother'sAid,likeManandWife.

'TismoretoguidethanspurtheMuse'sSteed;

RestrainhisFury,thanprovokehisSpeed;

ThewingedCourser,likeagen'rousHorse,

ShowsmosttrueMettlewhenyoucheckhisCourse.

ThoseRULESofolddiscover'd,notdevis'd,

AreNaturestill,butNatureMethodiz'd;

Nature,likeLiberty,isbutrestrain'd

BythesameLawswhichfirstherselfordain'd.

Hearhowlearn'dGreeceherusefulRulesindites,

Whentorepress,andwhenindulgeourFlights:

HighonParnassus'TopherSonssheshow'd,

AndpointedoutthosearduousPathstheytrod,

Heldfromafar,aloft,th'ImmortalPrize,

Andurg'dtherestbyequalStepstorise;

JustPreceptsthusfromgreatExamplesgiv'n,

Shedrewfromthemwhattheyderiv'dfromHeav'n

Thegen'rousCritickfann'dthePoet'sFire,

AndtaughttheWorld,withReasontoAdmire.

ThenCriticismtheMuse'sHandmaidprov'd,

TodressherCharms,andmakehermorebelov'd;

ButfollowingWitsfromthatIntentionstray'd;

Whocou'dnotwintheMistress,woo'dtheMaid;

AgainstthePoetstheirownArmstheyturn'd,

SuretohatemosttheMenfromwhomtheylearn'd

SomodernPothecaries,taughttheArt

ByDoctor'sBillstoplaytheDoctor'sPart,

BoldinthePracticeofmistakenRules,

Prescribe,apply,andcalltheirMastersFools.

SomeontheLeavesofancientAuthorsprey,

NorTimenorMothse'erspoil'dsomuchasthey:

Somedrylyplain,withoutInvention'sAid,

WritedullReceitshowPoemsmaybemade:

TheseleavetheSense,theirLearningtodisplay,

AndthemeexplaintheMeaningquiteaway

YouthenwhoseJudgmenttherightCoursewou'dsteer,

KnowwelleachANCIENT'sproperCharacter,

HisFable,Subject,Scopeinev'ryPage,

Religion,Country,GeniusofhisAge:

WithoutalltheseatoncebeforeyourEyes,

Cavilyoumay,butneverCriticize.

BeHomer'sWorksyourStudy,andDelight,

ReadthembyDay,andmeditatebyNight,

ThenceformyourJudgment,thenceyourMaximsbring,

AndtracetheMusesupwardtotheirSpring;

StillwithItselfcompar'd,hisTextperuse;

AndletyourCommentbetheMantuanMuse.

WhenfirstyoungMaroinhisboundlessMind

AWorkt'outlastImmortalRomedesign'd,

Perhapsheseem'dabovetheCritick'sLaw,

AndbutfromNature'sFountainsscorn'dtodraw:

Butwhent'examineev'ryParthecame,

NatureandHomerwere,hefound,thesame:

Convinc'd,amaz'd,hecheckstheboldDesign,

AndRulesasstricthislabour'dWorkconfine,

AsiftheStagyriteo'erlookedeachLine.

LearnhenceforAncientRulesajustEsteem;

TocopyNatureistocopyThem.

SomeBeautiesyet,noPreceptscandeclare,

Forthere'saHappinessaswellasCare.

MusickresemblesPoetry,ineach

ArenamelessGraceswhichnoMethodsteach,

AndwhichaMaster-Handalonecanreach.

If,wheretheRulesnotfarenoughextend,

（SinceRulesweremadebuttopromotetheirEnd）

SomeLuckyLICENCEanswerstothefull

Th'Intentpropos'd,thatLicenceisaRule.

ThusPegasus,anearerwaytotake,

MayboldlydeviatefromthecommonTrack.

GreatWitssometimesmaygloriouslyoffend,

AndrisetoFaultstrueCriticksdarenotmend;

FromvulgarBoundswithbraveDisorderpart,

AndsnatchaGracebeyondtheReachofArt,

Which,withoutpassingthro'theJudgment,gains

TheHeart,andallitsEndatonceattains.

InProspects,thus,someObjectspleaseourEyes,

WhichoutofNature'scommonOrderrise,

TheshapelessRock,orhangingPrecipice.

Buttho'theAncientsthustheirRulesinvade,

（AsKingsdispensewithLawsThemselveshavemade）

Moderns,beware!

Orifyoumustoffend

AgainstthePrecept,ne'ertransgressitsEnd,

Letitbeseldom,andcompell'dbyNeed,

Andhave,atleast,TheirPrecedenttoplead.

TheCritickelseproceedswithoutRemorse,

SeizesyourFame,andputshisLawsinforce.

Iknowthereare,towhosepresumptuousThoughts

ThoseFreerBeauties,ev'ninThem,seemFaults:

SomeFiguresmonstrousandmis-shap'dappear,

Consider'dsingly,orbeheldtoonear,

Which,butproportion'dtotheirLight,orPlace,

DueDistancereconcilestoFormandGrace.

AprudentChiefnotalwaysmustdisplay

HisPow'rsinequalRanks,andfairArray,

Butwithth'OccasionandthePlacecomply,

ConcealhisForce,nayseemsometimestoFly.

ThoseoftareStratagemswhichErrorsseem,

NorisitHomerNods,butWethatDream.

StillgreenwithBayseachancientAltarstands,

AbovethereachofSacrilegiousHands,

SecurefromFlames,fromEnvy'sfiercerRage,

DestructiveWar,andall-involvingAge.

See,fromeachClimetheLearn'dtheirIncensebring;

Hear,inallTonguesconsentingPaeansring!

InPraisesojust,letev'ryVoicebejoin'd,

AndfilltheGen'ralChorusofMankind!

HailBardsTriumphant!

borninhappierDays;

ImmortalHeirsofUniversalPraise!

WhoseHonourswithIncreaseofAgesgrow,

Asstreamsrolldown,enlargingastheyflow!

NationsunbornyourmightyNamesshallsound,

AndWorldsapplaudthatmustnotyetbefound!

OhmaysomeSparkofyourCoelestialFire

Thelast,themeanestofyourSonsinspire,

（ThatonweakWings,fromfar,pursuesyourFlights;

Glowswhilehereads,buttremblesashewrites）

ToteachvainWitsaSciencelittleknown,

T'admireSuperiorSense,anddoubttheirown!

OfalltheCauseswhichconspiretoblind

Man'serringJudgment,andmisguidetheMind,

WhattheweakHeadwithstrongestByassrules,

IsPride,thenever-failingViceofFools.

WhateverNaturehasinWorthdeny'd,

ShegivesinlargeRecruitsofneedfulPride;

ForasinBodies,thusinSouls,wefind

WhatwantsinBloodandSpirits,swell'dwithWind;

Pride,whereWitfails,stepsintoourDefence,

AndfillsupallthemightyVoidofSense!

IfoncerightReasondrivesthatCloudaway,

TruthbreaksuponuswithresistlessDay;

Trustnotyourself;butyourDefectstoknow,

Makeuseofev'ryFriend--andev'ryFoe.

AlittleLearningisadang'rousThing;

Drinkdeep,ortastenotthePierianSpring:

ThereshallowDraughtsintoxicatetheBrain,

Anddrinkinglargelysobersusagain.

Fir'datfirstSightwithwhattheMuseimparts,

InfearlessYouthwetem