SOURCE: "Alexander Pope and His Kingdom," in The Peace of the Augustans: A Survey of Eighteenth Century Literature as a Place of Rest and Refreshment, G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1916, pp. 43-104.
Saintsbury has been called the most influential literary historian and critic of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His studies of French literature have established him as a leading authority on such writers as Guy de Maupassant and Honoré de Balzac. In the following excerpt, Saintsbury praises the superior phrasing and wit in Pope's verse, despite the many faults he perceives in the poet's work.
This is a free excerpt of 98 words. There are 2,578 words (approx.
9 pages at 300 words per page) in the full critical essay.
Read the rest of this Criticism with our Alexander Pope 1688–1744: Critical Essay by George Saintsbury Access Pass.
