A minor masterpiece among Pope’s shorter works, this poem consists of fifty lines in heroic couplets, divided into five paragraphs. There is also a fragment of sixteen lines, previously regarded as a suppressed conclusion, but now generally seen as the draft for a separate composition. The poem, known more fully as
Epistle to a Young Lady, on her Leaving the Town after the Coronation, made its original appearance in the authoritative edition of his
Worksthat Pope issued
in 1717. When he reprinted it in 1735, the author altered the first words of the title to
Epistle to Miss Blount.This change has raised an unforeseen problem in interpreting the verses. They relate to the coronation of George I in October 1714, as it affected the lives of the Blount sisters, Teresa (1688–1759) and
1341 words
Citation: Rogers, Pat. "Epistle to a Young Lady, on her Leaving the Town after the Coronation". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 27 May 2022 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40840, accessed 21 November 2024.]