Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot is a celebrated piece of satirical
poem by Alexander Pope. As the title itself suggests it is in the form of an
epistle or letter. The poem is addressed to Pope's friend, Dr. John Arbuthnot,
who was a physician and a member of the Scriblerus Club, a group of writers
including Jonathan Swift, Alexander pope, Thomas Parnell and John Gay. The poem was written in 1734 and
is considered one of Pope's major satires.
The poem begins
with the epigraph by a Roman philosopher and statesman, Cicero and a passage
which advises
against being affected or swayed by public opinion or seeking external acceptance.
Instead, it promotes a focus on personal virtue and glory in order to success
in the life.
["...
you will not any longer attend to the vulgar mob's gossip nor put your trust in
human rewards for your deeds; virtue, through her own charms, should lead you
to true glory. Let what others say about you be their concern; whatever it is,
they will say it anyway."]
This passage sharply conveys a set of principles or
advice about how one should conduct oneself, emphasizing the importance of
virtue, personal integrity, and a focus on true glory rather than seeking
validation from others especially in terms of writing or any other creative
pursuits.
Pope begins by expressing his frustration with the
literary world and his desire to escape from it. He describes the attacks and
criticism he has faced from his contemporaries, especially in the form of
pamphlets and satirical writings. The speaker, likely Pope himself,
expresses a desire for privacy and a retreat from the public attention and
criticism that he is facing.
Shut, shut the door, good John! fatigu'd, I said,
Tie up the knocker, say I'm sick, I'm dead.
The dog-star rages! nay 'tis past a doubt,
All Bedlam, or Parnassus, is let out:
Fire in each eye, and papers in each hand,
They rave, recite, and madden round the land.
The speaker addresses his friend and physician Dr. John Arbuthnot, instructing him to close the
door. The use of "fatigued" suggests that the speaker is tired,
exhausted and sick. He wants to tie up the door knocker, a device that makes
noise when someone knocks on the door. The speaker wants to create the
appearance that he is unavailable, either due to illness or indicating a desire
for solitude.
Speaker refers to the dog-star, the Sirius (the
brightest and the hottest star in the night sky), which is associated with hot
weather. The raging of the star suggests intense heat, perhaps metaphorically
referring to the intense public scrutiny or criticism the speaker is
experiencing.
The speaker uses a contrast between Bedlam, a
historical mental institution or asylum, and Parnassus, a mountain in Greek
mythology associated with poetic inspiration and the Muses. This contrast
suggests that both madness and poetic inspiration have been unleashed upon the literary
world. He describes the agitated state and the attacking mentality of the
present society.
The expression
"Fire in each eye" implies intense passion to look at the work
critically with a mind to attack, and "papers in each hand" suggests
that they are carrying written works, possibly critical writings with scathing
words. The first stanza itself clearly exhibits the age of John Dryden and Alexander
Pope, as they are always prone to criticism. This age was intensely chaotic and
frenzy because of the sharp verbal attacks.
What walls can guard me, or what shades can hide?
They pierce my thickets, through my grot they glide;
By land, by water, they renew the charge;
They stop the chariot, and they board the barge.
No place is sacred, not the church is free;
Ev'n Sunday shines no Sabbath-day to me:
Then from the Mint walks forth the man of rhyme,
Happy! to catch me just at dinner-time.
He thinks about the protection needed to survive in
the literary sphere. But, unfortunately he can’t keep himself protected from
the stings of the critics. Despite the speaker's attempts to find seclusion
("thickets" and "grot" imply hidden or secluded places),
the intruders metaphorically penetrate these retreats, invading the speaker's
private space. Intruders were disturbing him differently in different ways regardless
of the barriers he attempts to put in place. They even went out of the limits even
intercepting the speaker's modes of transportation (chariot and barge, canal
boat). The speaker laments that there is not even a single space which offers
safety. Even sacred or traditionally private spaces, like a church, are not
exempt from intrusion and disturbance. The Sabbath day and Sunday,
traditionally a day of rest and reflection, brings out the idea that even on
this holy day, the speaker finds no relaxation from the disturbances and
intrusions.
The "Mint" here likely refers to a place
of production (the mind) and "the man of rhyme" suggests a poet or
writer. The speaker complains that they even interrupt the process of writing and
he sarcastically expresses his happiness for disturbing even in the dinner
time.
Hence, these lines basically convey the speaker's
frustration with the intrusive and persistent attention he is receiving from
critics and the public. The imagery of doors being shut, symbolically underscore
the speaker's desire for solitude and escape from the tumultuous world of
public opinion and criticism.
In fact Pope was extremely confused on what to do
and what not to do in the case of poetasters or premature poets. If he
appreciated their poetry they overflow with more poems, if he says something
negative about their poetry, they feel hurt. As he criticized some of the poets
openly they blackmailed him.
When Pope ridiculed a few poets like Colley, Harley, Bavius,
Bishop Philips and Sappho. Arbuthnot warned Pope not make such personal attack in
his poem. He advises Pope to be prudent, sensible and careful. Arbuthnot
ridicules Pope that he is twice as tall as Pope but he never uses any names and
personal attacks.
He then talks about how a few the so called well
known dramatists approached him to recommend scripts, which are rejected by the
theatres and production companies. They tried their level best to flatter Pope.
Some say that Pope’s nose is like Ovid’s and they compare Pope with Hercules
and Alexander the Great. Pope does not listen to such flattery. He calls himself
as an ordinary man.
Poet recollects his early life and the time he
turned into the field of poetry. He starts explaining why he writes, he wrote
not out of any compulsion. He found it hard to learn numbers but it is not hard
for him to write poetry. Nobody asked him to write poetry but he did it by
himself. He writes because his friends like Swift, Granville, Congreve and
others enjoyed reading his poetry and more over writing
poetry was his instinct. He did not write poem for his personal reasons like loving
his wife. Arbuthnot asks why Pope publishes his works. Pope says that because
his friends enjoyed reading his poetry. They praised his works. Even Dryden encourages
Pope to write and publish poems so he published the poem one after the other.
Pope says that he does not bother about those who
find fault with him. He calls them as donkeys and fools. He sometimes tried to
be friendly terms with them. He tried to take them out for a dinner. In spite
of all these some cheap and unprincipled critics criticized him.
Pope was of the opinion that if their criticism was objective
and correct he would have readily accepted
it. Pope sharply satirizes Ambrose Philips because he was a plagiarist as per
his findings. He copies works from Greek literature and earns money. If he
attempts to be original, he will not cross eight lines a year.
Pope then criticizes Addison. Addison, according to Pope,
is a genius. He is a good writer. His defect is that he wants to dominate the
literary world. He thinks that he is the greatest of all writers. Pope calls
Addison a coward, because Addison attacks many writers but he fears being
attacked by them. Pope also attacks Lord Halifax as he loves being flattered.
He helps the poetasters who flatter him without even consider the ethical
aspects.
Pope demands to the poetasters to let him leave and live
in a peaceful manner. He says that he undergoes sever problems related to his
health and finance. He is a devotee and a strong believer and only liars will
fear his satire and attacks. A man of good intention and honest behavior need
not fear him.
Pope attacks Lord Hervey, a political writer in
England by using the name Sporus (a young castrated Roman slave). He gives more
emphasis to the physical aspects and sensual pleasure and social upliftment. Hervey
was also a homosexual. Pope strongly attacks him for not even having moral
values.
Pope says that he has never been a worshipper of fortune.
He is bold and courageous. He has never flattered anyone for selfish reasons. He
was totally impartial and truthful towards his career. He sharply attacks his
enemies and critics. He concludes the poem by praying that Arbuthnot should
lead a happy, peaceful and prosperous life.
Pope decided to write this epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot
as a gratitude for the concern extended towards him. Arbuthnot had warned him
about the possible dangers of naming people openly while ridiculing them,
particularly the influential ones. Although pope responded to his concern in
the form of this epistle but he did not show any sign of agreement with his
concern. Pope took this occasion to express his fearlessness openly. He did not
even avoid mentioning some people openly in this work as well whom he disliked.
The only assurance he has given to the doctor is that he is not afraid of
anyone and that he is satisfied with his own position in the society.
In fact, Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot
is an influential piece of satire that showcases Pope's wit, intellectual
prowess, and keen observations of human nature. It stands as an evidence to the
challenges faced by a satirist in a society marked by literary rivalries,
social pretensions, and personal rivalries. The poem remains a significant
contribution to 18th-century English literature and satirical tradition.
