For the student of English literature Pope's work has a threefold value. It represents the highest achievement of one of the great movements in the developments of English verse. It reflects with unerring accuracy the life and thought of his time--not merely the outward life of beau and belle in the days of Queen Anne, but the ideals of the age in art, philosophy, and politics. And finally it teaches as hardly any other body of English verse can be said to do, the perennial value of conscious and controlling art. Pope's work lives and will live while English poetry is read, not because of its inspiration, imagination, or depth of thought, but by its unity of design, vigor of expression, and perfection of finish--by those qualities, in short, which show the poet as an artist in verse. CHIEF DATES IN POPE'S LIFE 1688 Born, May 21. 1700 Moves to Binfield. 1709 'Pastorals'. 1711 'Essay on Criticism'. 1711-12 Contributes to 'Spectator'. 1712 'Rape of the Lock', first form. 1713 'Windsor Forest'. 1713 Issues proposals for translation of Homer. 1714 'Rape of the Lock', second form. 1715 First volume of the 'Iliad'. 1715 'Temple of Fame'. 1717 Pope's father dies. 1717 'Works', including some new poems. 1719 Settles at Twickenham. 1720 Sixth and last volume of the 'Iliad'. 1722 Begins translation of 'Odyssey'. 1725 Edits Shakespeare. 1726 Finishes translation of 'Odyssey'. 1727-8 'Miscellanies' by Pope and Swift. 1728-9 'Dunciad'. 1731-2 'Moral Essays': 'Of Taste', 'Of the Use of Riches'. 1733-4 'Essay on Man'. 1733-8 'Satires and Epistles'. 1735 'Works'. 1735 'Letters' published by Curll. 1741 'Works in Prose'; vol. II. includes the correspondence with Swift. 1742 Fourth book of 'Dunciad'. 1742 Revised 'Dunciad'. 1744 Died, May 30. 1751 First collected edition, published by Warburton, 9 vols. * * * * * SELECTIONS FROM POPE * * * * * THE RAPE OF THE LOCK AN HEROI-COMICAL POEM Nolueram, Belinda, tuos violare capillos; Sed juvat, hoc precibus me tribuisse tuis. Mart, [Epigr, XII. 84.] TO MRS. ARABELLA FERMOR MADAM, It will be in vain to deny that I have some regard for this piece, since I dedicate it to You. Yet you may bear me witness, it was intended only to divert a few young Ladies, who have good sense and good humour enough to laugh not only at their sex's little unguarded follies, but at their own. But as it was communicated with the air of a Secret, it soon found its way into the world. An imperfect copy having been offer'd to a Bookseller, you had the good-nature for my sake to consent to the publication of one more correct: This I was forc'd to, before I had executed half my design, for the Machinery was entirely wanting to compleat it.