Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope
Alexander Popewas an 18th-century English poet. He is best known for his satirical verse, as well as for his translation of Homer. Famous for his use of the heroic couplet, he is the second-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth21 May 1688
few vicious virtue virtuous
Virtuous and vicious everyone must be; few in extremes, but all in degree.
argument delight true
True disputants are like true sportsman: their whole delight is in the pursuit.
man plain reason
Why has not man a microscopic eye? For the plain reason man is not a fly.
anger angry faults others ourselves revenge
To be angry is to revenge the faults of others upon ourselves
bent common education forms inclined tis twig
Tis education forms the common mind; just as the twig is bent the tree's inclined
may critics criticise
Cavil you may, but never criticise.
sound speech empty
And empty heads console with empty sound.
soul void craving
No craving void left aching in the soul.
nurse solitude
Wholesome solitude, the nurse of sense!
soldier grace crowns
Though triumphs were to generals only due, crowns were reserved to grace the soldiers too.
sleep two race
Sleep and death, two twins of winged race, Of matchless swiftness, but of silent pace.
thinking young-friends young-love
It is very natural for a young friend and a young lover to think the persons they love have nothing to do but to please them.
heaven taught spires
Who taught that heaven-directed spire to rise?
littles study application
There is no study that is not capable of delighting us after a little application to it.