ESSAY ON CRITICISM, An, a didactic poem in heroic couplets by Alexander Pope (q.v.) in which he explains and propounds the canons of verse structure, poetic taste and criticism. The poem, Pope's first really origi nal work, was written either in 1707 or 1709, more likely in the latter year. It was first published anonymously on 15 May 1711 and sold so well that another impression was made the same year. The second edition, published in 1713, gave as the name of the author "Mr. Pope." Since then it has been included in practically every edition of Pope's works. The most exhaustively critical and most carefully annotated edition is that edited by J. W. Croker, W. Elwin and W. J. Courthope (Lon don 1871-89) where it will he found in the second volume. It has been translated into Latin, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Hungarian, . Polish and Russian. Opinions concerning the merits of the poem are divided. In its own days it was praised very highly by such astute critics as Addison and Dr. Johnson. Of the next generation of critics, Hazlitt continues to sing its praises, but DeQuincey criticizes it harshly.
The fact remains, however, that, though metrically by far the least polished of Pope's poems, it was a remarkable performance for a youth of 21, both in regard to its poetical value and in respect to its contents. Its author ry ima e, though very uneven, at points reaches which were never surpassed by the au or and many of its striking passages have become familiar quotations. It is one of Pope's longer works, consisting of 744 verses, divided into three parts. With it began the long series of literary quarrels in which Pope was involved throughout his entire career as a result of his biting satire. In the on Criticism> he attacked particularly vigorously and outspoken ly a critic and playwright of that day, J. Dennis (q.v.) who replied in a pamphlet, called upon a late Rhapsodic, called "An Essay upon Criticism" in which he in turn criticized very sharply and in places with considerable justice Pope's work. Consult Graner, K., °Die tIbersetzungen, von Pope's Es say on Criticism," etc. (Aschaffenburg 1910).
See POPE, ALEXANDER. - -