An Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot

An Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot – The book by Ramji Lall provides a comprehensive summary of Alexander Pope’s autobiographical and satirical poem, which is a formal letter (epistle) to his friend and physician, Dr. John Arbuthnot. Written in heroic couplets, the poem serves as Pope’s defense of his character and literary career against his many critics and “poetasters”. The poem opens with Pope complaining to his servant, John, about being constantly pestered by untalented, aspiring poets who seek his endorsement or money. He describes them with animal imagery, comparing them to mad dogs or a “plague”.