An Experience of Boredom

این مقاله یه تکلیف کلاسیه. قبل از خوندنش شعر مفاله ای در مورد انسان رو از الکساندر پوپ بخونید.

An Experience of Boredom


Abdolhamid Haery


At the end of the introduction-kind-of-thing in Alexander Pope’s An Essay on Man the persona is expressing his goal in attempting to write it the same as Milton’s.

But vindicate the ways of God to man. (1.16)

I.
We are informed of the Great Chain of Being and the fact that we are just limited to our own rank. No knowledge in obtainable from higher ranks. They’re ruling over us and we’re ruling over the below ranks. The rhetorical questions abound, asking for the audience just to agree!

Is the great chain that draws all to agree,
And drawn supports, upheld by God or thee? (1.33-34)

II.
The persona is inviting us to observe the nature and see that every creature is in its own rank and is neither stronger nor weaker.

Presumptuous man! the reason wouldst thou find,
Why form'd so weak, so little, and so blind?
First, if thou canst, the harder reason guess
Why form'd no weaker, blinder, and no less! (1.35-38)

Why is it so?
The answer is that it’s none of our business. God is perfect and we are imperfect. So, we won’t be able to understand. But, surely our place is just and proper.

Then in the scale of reas'ning life 'tis plain
There must be, somewhere, such a rank as Man:
And all the question (wrangle e'er so long)
Is only this,--if God has placed him wrong? (1.47-50)


III.
Why can’t we have any knowledge? Because we are blind to future. We don’t know our fate.

Heav'n from all creatures hides the book of Fate,
All but the page prescribed, their present state; (1.77-78)

We have a restricted knowledge only about the time that we are living in. It could be the reason that neo-classicalists told us that we should copy Greek poets. Because we can’t grasp the reality.
But this not-knowing has many benefits that are not known to us as well. But the persona secretly has found one of them.

O blindness to the future! kindly giv'n, (1.85)
Hope springs eternal in human breast: (1.95)

We’re always hopeful. Better things may come upon us. God is helping us all the time!

IV.
Hey Man-not Woman-Do you think with your limited knowledge you can judge. As the post-modernists believe we couldn’t judge. But the neo-classics think that we shouldn’t judge. It’s the deity’s duty. If you judge, thou will bring ruin upon thyself.

Rejudge his justice, be the god of God.
In pride, in reas'ning pride, our error lies; (1.122-123)

V.
And why we are tempted to reason? It’s just because of this damned PRIDE that doesn’t let us to follow the Golden Mean.

From pride, from pride, our very reas'ning springs; (1.161)

You may ask yourself why the persona is acting like a teacher. Why is he instructing all the time and telling us very valuable moralities? Because the neo-classic literature is art for humanity’s sake and the poet could be a deist preacher.

VI.
In this part it is implied that Man couldn’t have the physical strengths of lower ranks and the angelic perfections of the upper ranks. Idiot! You would have looked miserable if you had those qualities. You are in your proper rank.

The bliss of man (could pride that blessing find)
Is not to act or think beyond mankind;
No powers of body or of soul to share,
But what his nature and his state can bear. (1.189-192)

I wonder what was the reaction of these correct poets about the scientific developments. Have they called all of them devilish? But if as they think everything were correct, we wouldn’t have been told to work hard and gain. And there wouldn’t have been a great joy in finding.

VI. & VIII.
Again the persona is addressing us to observe the nature and to understand that The Great Chain of Being is correct and universal. As the Greeks believed in these rules. They are universal. All the time and everywhere.

And Nature tremble to the throne of God!
All this dread order break--for whom? for thee?
Vile worm!--O madness! pride! impiety! (1.256-258)

After all my instructs again you’re thinking that all these are for you. You’re nothing but a fool!
And if one single defect is seen in this correct system, the whole system would tear apart. Because they’re dependent on each other.

The least confusion but in one, not all
That system only, but the Whole must fall. (1.249-250)

IX.
We are parts of a whole. And this whole is unified, coherent, and correct.

All are but parts of one stupendous whole,
Whose body Nature is, and God the soul; (1.267-268)

X.
As we reach the conclusion, you can be happy that the boredom is going to finish soon. The persona invites Man to submit and to believe in correctness and order. Believe in your defects and your rank. And follow the rules from now on. God is taking care of everything. Don’t worry.

One truth is clear, Whatever is, is right. (1.294)

This optimism is really amazing. They were really happier that the aimless people in twentieth century. They knew the core of universe and were moving toward that. So, there wasn’t any need like modernists to try to find the truth and at last find nothing and think that there is no core in post-modernism.