Rewritten, to take account of the Pope studies and criticism published since the first edition appeared in 1976. Errors have been corrected, and sections revised and expanded where the author's views have changed. Part Two now contains introductory essays to a number of Pope's major poems.

This second edition of Ian Gordon's A Preface to Pope places the poet within the social, cultural and intellectual context of his time. It throws new light on the theoretical and imaginative structures of Pope's poetry focusing on the linguistic complexity at its centre. It offers a critical survey of his work and also contains introductory essays. The book concludes with a reference section which includes indispensible information on places and people in Pope's poetry, together with a glossary of technical terms and a guide to further reading.