Written in 1727, "The Art of Sinking in Poetry" was one of Alexander Pope's contributions to the literary output of the legendary Scriblerus club - a circle of writers dedicated to mocking what they perceived as a culture of mediocrity and false learning prevalent in the arts and sciences of their day. Taking the form of an ironic guide to writing bad verse, Pope's tongue-in-cheek essay is wickedly funny in its lampooning of various pompous poetasters, as well as being essential reading for any budding writer wishing to avoid sinking to the unintentionally ridiculous, and instead to reach for the sublime."The Art of Sinking in Poetry" sees Pope lambasting a whole generation of justly forgotten authors, and is a significant addition to the canon of English literature.

Author Biography

Alexander Pope (1688-1744) was an English poet, widely regarded as the greatest of the eighteenth century. His work holds a place in the canon of English literature and he is, after Shakespeare and Tennyson, the most quoted writer in the English language.