Question

Who, according to Alexander Pope, is a happy man?

Hint:

The key theme of 'Ode on Solitude' is the virtue of a simple, private, and self-contained life. Pope's happy man finds joy not in having more, but in needing less.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question asks to summarize the ideal of happiness as described in Alexander Pope's poem, 'Ode on Solitude'.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Pope outlines several key characteristics of the happy man:
1. Contentment: His "wish and care" are limited to his own land ("a few paternal acres"). He desires nothing more than what he has.
2. Self-Sufficiency: He gets everything he needs from his own property: milk from his herds, bread from his fields, clothes from his flock, and shade from his trees.
3. Health and Peace: He enjoys a healthy body and a quiet, peaceful mind, free from the stress of ambition and public life.
4. Anonymity: He desires to live "unseen, unknown" and to die without fanfare, stealing away from the world unnoticed.