An Essay on Man

In the early 18th century, amidst the Enlightenment movement's challenges to established religious faith, Alexander Pope crafted a series of poems addressing human life and manners known as the "Epistles." This collection, published in installments, explores the nature and state of man concerning the universe, individuality, society, and happiness. The series culminates in a "Universal Prayer," composed of 13 four-line stanzas, released in 1738.