An Essay on Man

Pope’s philosophical poem in four epistles, addressed to Lord Bolingbroke, which sets out to “vindicate the ways of God to man” and man’s place in the universe.

Start reading5 epistles, about 11,000 words

Famous lines

• Hope springs eternal in the human breast:
  Man never is, but always to be bless’d

  Epistle IIn context

  • Hope

• All nature is but art unknown to thee;
  All chance direction, which thou canst not see;
  All discord harmony not understood;
  All partial evil universal good;
  And, spite of pride, in erring reason’s spite,
  One truth is clear, ‘Whatever is, is right.

  Epistle IIn context

  • Good & Evil
  • Philosophy

• Strength of mind is exercise, not rest.

  Epistle II, Line 101In context

  • Thinking

• For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight;
  His can’t be wrong whose life is in the right.

  In context

  • Faith
  • Morality

Contents

1. The Design
2. Epistle I
3. Epistle II
4. Epistle III
5. Epistle IV