Presenting a Self. The Polished Correspondence of Alexander Pope's 1737 Publication

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2016-01-15

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en

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Although abundant scholarly research has been conducted into nearly every aspect of the life and works of Alexander Pope (1688-1744), the collections of his correspondence that were published in the 1730’s have been largely neglected. It has long been known that Pope thoroughly edited his letters before print and that his publication even contains fabricated material; a matter from which it may be inferred that he was extremely conscious about how his texts were to be received by his public. This research is focused on his 1737 publication and will closely examine a number of letters in light of the “posture” theory that was established by Jérôme Meizoz. The chapters of this thesis delve into Pope’s relationships with the established literary figure Joseph Addison, the witty Lady Mary Wortley Montagu and his dear friend Martha Blount. Pope was a man who maintained many intimate friendships but! who also made many enemies, and this publication enabled him to present a different side of himself.

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Faculteit der Letteren