Man

The word 'man' is used throughout Pope's poem and refers to humankind as a whole, not necessarily the male species. As Pope states in the beginning of Epistle I, his intent is to "But vindicate the ways of God to man" (Pope pp). He sets out to demonstrate a Christian-based cosmogony, or rather his theory of how the universe was created (Cody pp). Pope draws on the contemporary scientific discoveries of the day, especially those of Isaac Newton (Cody pp). This first Epistle concerns the nature of man and his place within the universe, while Epistle II deals with man as an individual, his basic nature and state of being (Cody pp). Epistle III concerns man, the individual, in relation to human society as a whole, as well as to the political and social classes, and Epistle IV, concerns humankind's pursuit of happiness (Cody pp).

Alexander Pope's "Essay on...
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