Alexander Pope (1688-1744) [Chapter 4, pp. 207-09] was a famous English poet and satirist who was an important figure in the Neoclassical movement of the early 18th century. Pope's work was unpopular in the press in his time as his satires and poetry of manners didn't match the Romantic and Victorian styles of the time. His unpopularity is also often attributed to the fact that he was Catholic during the reign of Protestant William of Orange and had stunted growth and a hunchback after contracting spinal tuberculosis at the age of 12. During his life, Pope earned a living through subscription fees of translations of Homer and Shakespeare, although his poem, The Rape of the Lock, gained some recognition in circles. Pope's poetry later gained popularity to New Critics in the 20th century as his poetry embodied the "spirit of the time."

When Orlando first catches a glimpse of Pope in Virginia Woolf's Orlando, she notes his large forehead and the "weight of genius" in it (Woolf 206). Orlando praises his "wit, wisdom and truth," highlighting the admiration that she has for the poet, but as he comes into the light she realizes that he is only "despicable," "deformed and weakly" (Woolf 207). These contrasting descriptions not only connect with Pope's physical disabilities but also highlights Woolf's point that famous poets are also flawed, ordinary people. An excerpt from Pope's poem The Rape of the Lock is used by the narrator to claim that readers can then know "as if we heard him now" (209), and the narrator then validates Orlando's amusement of and admiration for Pope. Pope's place in the novel allows readers to understand the context of poets in the 18th century, Orlando's intelligence in interacting with him, and the irony of Pope's character being drawn up with dramatized biographical information by an author who is criticizing biographies. (310 word count)

"Alexander Pope." Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/alexander-pope. 

Woolf, Virginia. Orlando: A Biography. Mariner Books, 1973.