The last considerable poem is the _Essay on Man_ (1734), which owes much to the suggestions of Bolingbroke. At the beginning of the poem he says “The proper study of mankind is man,” and then proceeds with a long and confused treatment of man and his place in the universe. As a contribution to philosophy it is contemptible, but from it we can detach clusters of passages full of force and beauty. The verse has all its author’s care and lucidity. In some places, indeed, the style is cut to the very bone, as it is in the well-known line, “Man never is but always to be blessed.” =4. His Prose.= As a writer of prose Pope is of secondary importance. His _Letters_, published under a cloud of devious tricks, clearly are written with an eye on the public. They are addressed chiefly to notable persons, such as Swift and Gay, and consist of pompous essays upon abstract subjects. Sometimes in other letters he forgets himself, and writes easily and brightly, especially when he is telling of his own experiences. =5. Summary.= It is now useful to draw together the various features of the work of this important poet. (_a_) Both in subject and in style his poems are _limited_. They take people of his own social class, and they deal with their common experiences and their common interests and aspirations. Pope rarely dips below the surface, and when he does so he is not at his best. With regard to his style, we have seen that it is almost wholly restricted to the heroic couplet, used in a narrative and didactic subject. He is almost devoid of the lyrical faculty, and the higher artistic emotions--“passion and apathy, and glory and shame”--are beyond his artistic grasp. (_b_) Within these limits his work is _powerful_ and _effective_. The wit is keen; the satire burns like acid; and his zeal is unshakable. In serious topics, as in the _Essay on Man_, he can give imperishable shape to popular opinions. (_c_) His work is _careful_ and almost _fastidious_, and thus confers an enormous benefit upon English poetry. He cured poetry of the haphazard methods of the earlier ages. With inspiration lacking, care was more than ever necessary, and in this Pope led the way. His verse reads so easily owing to the great care he took with it. True ease in writing comes from art, not chance, As those move easiest who have learned to dance. _Essay on Criticism_