An Essay on Criticism: Part II

by Alexander Pope
In this three-part poem, Pope outlines the failings and responsibilities of literary critics. Read the full text here.

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25 words 18 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. rapture
    a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion
    A perfect judge will read each work of wit
    With the same spirit that its author writ
    Survey the whole nor seek slight faults to find
    Where nature moves and rapture warms the mind
  2. subservient
    serving or acting as a means or aid
    Most critics, fond of some subservient art,
    Still make the whole depend upon a part:
    They talk of principles, but notions prize,
    And all to one loved folly sacrifice.
  3. caprice
    a sudden desire
    Thus critics of less judgment than caprice,
    Curious, not knowing, not exact, but nice,
    Form short ideas, and offend in arts
    (As most in manners) by a love to parts.
  4. conceit
    a witty or ingenious turn of phrase
    Some to conceit alone their taste confine,
    And glittering thoughts struck out at every line;
    Pleased with a work where nothing's just or fit;
    One glaring chaos and wild heap of wit.
  5. abound
    exist in large quantities
    Words are like leaves, and where they most abound
    Much fruit of sense beneath is rarely found.
  6. eloquence
    powerful and effective language
    False eloquence, like the prismatic glass,
    Its gaudy colors spreads on every place
  7. gaudy
    tastelessly showy
    False eloquence, like the prismatic glass,
    Its gaudy colors spreads on every place
  8. gild
    decorate with, or as if with, gold leaf or liquid gold
    But true expression, like the unchanging sun,
    Clears and improves whate'er it shines upon;
    It gilds all objects, but it alters none.
  9. garb
    clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
    A vile conceit in pompous words expressed,
    Is like a clown in regal purple dressed
    For different styles with different subjects sort,
    As several garbs with country town and court
  10. fraught
    filled with or attended with
    Then, at the last and only couplet fraught
    With some unmeaning thing they call a thought
  11. trifle
    a detail that is considered insignificant
    Avoid extremes, and shun the fault of such,
    Who still are pleased too little or too much.
    At every trifle scorn to take offense,
    That always shows great pride, or little sense
  12. descry
    catch sight of
    For fools admire, but men of sense approve:
    As things seem large which we through mist descry,
    Dullness is ever apt to magnify.
  13. servile
    submissive or fawning in attitude or behavior
    Of all this servile herd the worst is he
    That in proud dullness joins with quality
    A constant critic at the great man's board
  14. exalted
    of high moral or intellectual value
    But let a lord once own the happy lines,
    How the wit brightens! how the style refines!
    Before his sacred name flies every fault,
    And each exalted stanza teems with thought!
  15. throng
    a large gathering of people
    So much they scorn the crowd that if the throng
    By chance go right they purposely go wrong
  16. zealous
    marked by active interest and enthusiasm
    Once school-divines this zealous isle o'erspread,
    Who knew most sentences was deepest read,
    Faith, Gospel, all, seemed made to be disputed
  17. faction
    a dissenting clique
    Parties in wit attend on those of state,
    And public faction doubles private hate.
  18. atone
    make amends for
    Unhappy wit, like most mistaken things
    Atones not for that envy which it brings
  19. spurn
    reject with contempt
    Now they who reach Parnassus' lofty crown,
    Employ their pains to spurn some others down
  20. abject
    of the most contemptible kind
    To what base ends, and by what abject ways,
    Are mortals urged, through sacred lust of praise!
  21. disdain
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    But if in noble minds some dregs remain,
    Not yet purged off, of spleen and sour disdain
  22. dearth
    an insufficient quantity or number
    Discharge that rage on more provoking crimes,
    Nor fear a dearth in these flagitious times.
  23. flagitious
    extremely wicked, deeply criminal
    Discharge that rage on more provoking crimes,
    Nor fear a dearth in these flagitious times.
  24. blasphemy
    profane language
    Encouraged thus, wit's Titans braved the skies,
    And the press groaned with licensed blasphemies.
  25. jaundiced
    showing or affected by prejudice or envy or distaste
    Yet shun their fault, who, scandalously nice,
    Will needs mistake an author into vice;
    All seems infected that the infected spy,
    As all looks yellow to the jaundiced eye.
Created on Wed May 19 10:06:50 EDT 2021 (updated Wed May 19 15:21:45 EDT 2021)

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