The Dunciad Book I—Verses 11, 12

Ferrick Gray

Working with Pope

Volume 1, Issue 1

Alexander Pope is a poet unsurpassed in skill, creativity, and wit. His expertise using what we may call the rimed couplet is beyond belief. His idol John Dryden also used this form, but Pope made it his own and perfected it. No one can dispute this fact.

Whether we call rimed couplets in iambic pentameter heroic couplets is a matter of definition. There has been a blurring of interpretations over the years. Heroic was at one time used to describe this form due to the translation of Greek epics by Dryden and Pope. It often referred to lofty themes such as G(g)od(s), kings, queens, religious quest, and the like. The resulting poems were also lengthy, thus epic or narrative. At one time, it was also considered that these should be closed couplet. Meaning that their sense did not extend beyond the two verses. So much for enjambment of couplets!