The two most important elements in Alexander Pope's life were his being born a Catholic and his contracting, during his twelfth year, a severe tubercular infection from which he never fully recovered. ... Pope's physical ailments and the acrimony with which political and literary pundits attacked both his person and his work should never be forgotten in evaluating, say, the optimistic faith of An Essay on Man or the acidulous satire of The Dunciad. ... Arbuthnot to "this long disease, my life,"" is no literary confabulation but an accurate description of his sufferings (Adler Inter...

• Word Count: 590
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Graduate