Date of Award
2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
English
Committee Chair
Anna M. Foy
Committee Member
Joseph Taylor
Committee Member
Jeffery Nelson
Subject(s)
Alexander Pope (1688-1744)--Criticism and interpretation, English verse satire--History and criticism, Religion in literature--History and criticism, English literature--18th century, Alexander Pope (1688-1744)--Dunciad
Abstract
Psalm imitation and paraphrase for the purpose of modernizing and meditating upon the word of God was a common practice in eighteenth-century England; however, Alexander Pope’s A Roman Catholick Version of the First Psalm, for the Use of a Young Lady and the more obscure Psalm XCI function differently from the typical psalm paraphrases done by Isaac Watts and Christopher Smart. Rather than participate in devotional meditation, Pope’s two psalms demonstrate a performance of devotion while at the same time revealing a rejection of true religious sentiment. This performance of religiosity and irreligiosity is later leveraged by Pope in the Dunciad controversy, where the psalms serve as evidence of Pope’s performance and critical reception by his contemporaries.
Recommended Citation
Thomas, Hannah Michelle, "Sharp arrows of censorious tongues : Alexander Pope's psalms and the Dunciad controversy" (2019). Theses. 295.
https://louis.uah.edu/uah-theses/295