An Essay on Criticism

"An Essay on Criticism" by Alexander Pope is a poem that thinks about what makes good poetry and criticism during the Enlightenment. It is written in verse and talks about how to write well and judge writing fairly. Pope looks at how creativity, good judgment, and nature all work together to make art. The poem covers human error in judging things, why following nature is important in poetry, and the problems with being too proud or not knowing enough. Pope uses examples to show why it's important to understand how poetry is made and to balance following rules with being creative. Pope wants to give advice to both critics and artists, telling them to be humble and take their work seriously.