Alexander Pope, A Farewell to London. In the Year 1715

Pat Rogers (University of South Florida)

Ed. by Nicholas Seager, University of Keele
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.05: English Writing and Culture from the Glorious Revolution to the French Revolution, 1689-1789.
Vol. editors: Paul Baines (University of Liverpool), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Pat Rogers (University of South Florida), Nicholas Seager (University of Keele)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1715 - 1715

Places

England (Country of Origin; Publication/ performance)

Genres and Modes

Poem

Resources

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The full title of this poem is

A Farewell to London. In the Year 1715

(erroneously 1714 in surviving manuscripts and in the first printing). It was not published until 1775, and never acknowledged by Pope even in private. However, a combination of internal and external evidence makes it virtually certain that he wrote the

Farewell

about the start of June 1715. This came at the juncture when he was able to quit the capital after a long period of work, leading up to the publication of the first volume of his

Iliad

translation on 4 June. One of the strongest indications of authenticity is an endorsement, “Mr. P— private”, found in a manuscript copy belonging to Edward Harley, later second Earl of Oxford. He was an assiduous collector of the poet’s writings and would have been among…

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2563 words

Citation: Rogers, Pat. "A Farewell to London. In the Year 1715". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 May 2022 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40841, accessed 24 April 2024.]

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