Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot by Alexander Pope detailed summary and analysis

 

 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.