Augustan Poets Study Guide

The Augustan poets (Pope, Dryden, Johnson, Swift) are "classicists" in the sense that they often include references to ancient Greek and Roman culture and imitate the literary genres and devices of the classical poets (Homer, Virgil, and others).

The Texts

Reading Quizzes

Pilgrim's Progress. ???
Gulliver's Travels. ???
Gulliver's Travels. ???
The Rape of the Lock. ???
Rasselas. ???
Rasselas. ???

The Vanity of Human Wishes (1749)

The Vanity of Human Wishes

Essay on Man (1734)

Essay on Man, Epistle 1. From the Poetry Foundation.
Essay on Man, Epistle 2. From the Poetry Foundation.

The Rape of the Lock (1717)

The Rape of the Lock. With textual notes. From Rutgers U.
The Rape of the Lock. Poetry Foundation's lovely presentation, but no textual notes.

Resources

Neoclassicism: An Overview. Provided by Victorian Web. A good inroduction to a general characteric of 18th century culturee and arts.

The Vanity of Human Wishes (1749). Overview by Wikipedia.
Samuel Johnson's "The Vanity of Human Wishes". From the Victorian Web.
Johnson, Samuel. Encyclopedia Britannic's overview of Johnson life and works.

An Essay on Man. Overview by Wikipedia.
Alexander Pope's Essay on Man: An Introduction. From the Victorian Web, David Cody, Associate Professor of English, Hartwick College.

The Rape of the Lock. Overview by Wikipedia.
The Rape of the Lock. Cummings Study Guide.
Alexander Pope's Rape of the Lock: An Introduction. Provided by David Cody, Associate Professor of English, Hartwick College.

Sir, a woman's preaching is like a dog's walking on his hind legs. It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all.

Nature has given women so much power that the law has very wisely given them little.

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