The Alexander Pope Encyclopedia

(Hardback)

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Alexander Pope (1688-1744) was the most important English poet of the 18th century, as well as an essayist, satirist, and critic. Many of his sayings are still quoted today. His Essay on Criticism shaped the aesthetic views of English Neoclassicism, while his Essay on Man reflected the moral views of the Enlightenment. He participated fully in the critical debates of his time and was one of the few poets who supported himself through his writing. This reference conveniently summarizes his life and works. Included are several-hundred alphabetically arranged entries on Pope's works, subjects that interested him, historical events that impacted Pope's life and work, cultural terms and categories, Pope's family members and acquaintances, major scholars and critics, and various other topics related to his writings. The entries reflect current scholarship and cite works for further reading. The encyclopedia also provides a chronology and concludes with a selected, general bibliography. Because of Pope's central importance to the Enlightenment, this book is also a useful companion to 18th-century literary and intellectual culture.

Reviews

"[A] superb reference book ... No matter where you open the book and dip in, it is difficult to stop reading ... a major by a major scholar, and one which should certainly be in every university library."-English
"The Alexander Pope Encyclopedia will certainly become an essential reference work for scholars, and will also be useful for students seeking more detailed background information about Pope than is available in even the most fully annotated edition....[a]n immense achievement, and one that offers a distillation of Mr. Roger's years of carefully acquired knowledge. Scholars and students will find in it the background material to appreciate more fully the richness and the resonance of Pope's writing."-The Scriblerian
[A] superb reference book ... No matter where you open the book and dip in, it is difficult to stop reading ... a major by a major scholar, and one which should certainly be in every university library.-English
[R]ogers' work supports both new readers who need context and devoted scholars requiring a thorough understanding of minutiae....A valuable resource for anyone reading or studying Pope. Highly recommended. All academic collections.-Choice
The coverage Rogers achieves is remarkable....[a] labor of love by a scholar who has done as much as anyone currently writing to make the authors of the eighteenth century as conveniently and authoritatively available to us as possible.-Studies in English Literature 1500-1900
The Alexander Pope Encyclopedia provides an impressive store of information and will be an invaluable resource for students of Pope and of the eighteenth century more generally.-Times Literary Supplement
The Alexander Pope Encyclopedia will certainly become an essential reference work for scholars, and will also be useful for students seeking more detailed background information about Pope than is available in even the most fully annotated edition....[a]n immense achievement, and one that offers a distillation of Mr. Roger's years of carefully acquired knowledge. Scholars and students will find in it the background material to appreciate more fully the richness and the resonance of Pope's writing.-The Scriblerian
This one-stop reference explains many of his allusions to contemporary English social mores, people, literature, and places.-College & Research Libraries News
"A superb reference book ... No matter where you open the book and dip in, it is difficult to stop reading ... a major by a major scholar, and one which should certainly be in every university library."-English
"Rogers' work supports both new readers who need context and devoted scholars requiring a thorough understanding of minutiae....A valuable resource for anyone reading or studying Pope. Highly recommended. All academic collections."-Choice
"The coverage Rogers achieves is remarkable....a labor of love by a scholar who has done as much as anyone currently writing to make the authors of the eighteenth century as conveniently and authoritatively available to us as possible."-Studies in English Literature 1500-1900
"[R]ogers' work supports both new readers who need context and devoted scholars requiring a thorough understanding of minutiae....A valuable resource for anyone reading or studying Pope. Highly recommended. All academic collections."-Choice
"The Alexander Pope Encyclopedia provides an impressive store of information and will be an invaluable resource for students of Pope and of the eighteenth century more generally."-Times Literary Supplement
"This one-stop reference explains many of his allusions to contemporary English social mores, people, literature, and places."-College & Research Libraries News
"The coverage Rogers achieves is remarkable....[a] labor of love by a scholar who has done as much as anyone currently writing to make the authors of the eighteenth century as conveniently and authoritatively available to us as possible."-Studies in English Literature 1500-1900

Author Bio

PAT ROGERS is DeBartolo Chair in the Liberal Arts at the University of South Florida. He is the author of more than 200 articles, and his many books include The Samuel Johnson Encyclopedia (Greenwood, 1996), Essays on Pope (1993), The Oxford Illustrated History of English Literature (1987), and Literature and Popular Culture in Eighteenth-Century England (1985).