Question 2 of 13 • DCSS British Literature 12 CR 24-25
A student is writing about characteristics of the Enlightenment period found in Alexander Pope’s An Essay on Man.
Answer
A
Pope uses iambic pentameter because each line contains ten stressed and unstressed syllables. His ideas are traditional and uphold old-fashioned family values.
B
Pope uses the structure of heroic couplets to focus the reader’s attention on his ideas. His writings reflect the logical and rational philosophy common during the Enlightenment.
C
An Essay on Man includes many poetic elements, such as repetition and antithesis. These elements create figurative images that entertained readers during the Enlightenment.
D
An Essay on Man emphasizes the importance of science in understanding the human mind. Pope uses little structure in his writing because he rejected tradition.