The Enduring Legacy

Originally published in 1988, this Anglo-American collaborative volume, which appeared during the 300th anniversary of Alexander Pope's birth in 1688, brings together contributions from a large number of the most outstanding scholars in the field of Pope studies. It is a comprehensive collective survey of the poet's life and work. The essays centre on his poetry, while his life and reputation, his translations and relation to the classical world, and his attitudes to women are also discussed. There is a section on landscape gardening and the villa at Twickenham, and another on Pope and posterity. A diversity of approaches is represented, but with recurrent themes and a general awareness of Pope's place in the contemporary literary context. A major landmark in Pope studies, this book provided a well-judged assessment, while affirming and extending the poet's standing.