Title: A little learning is a dangerous thing

Name of the poet: Alexander pope

Date of publication: 1711

Summary: the auther

*Analysis how Alexander pope’s poem, a little learning is a dangerous thing, suggests that education is
dangerous and that not deeply drinking from the fountain of knowledge will cause intoxication

*Analysis how pope’s pursuit of knowledge led him to pen a little learning, which shows the audience
that no matter how much one learns, there is a vast amount of information

*Analysis how pope’s work became popular during the enlightenment period due to it’s mention of arts
and sciences. He turned away from his catholic upbringing and identified with those around him who
believed that if something existed, then it was supposed to exist.

*Explain that pope was porn during the revolution, a time of upheaval and unrest. He was considered an
inferior group of people and denied access to position of power.

*Analysis how a little learning is a dangerous thing fits within the enlightenment period because of its
focus on science.

Analysis:

Learning only a little is a dangerous affair. When one learns or drinks from the pierian spring, which
✔️
was a metaphorical source of knowledge of art and science, a man should delve deep and learn more
rather than just scraping the tip of the iceberg for fear of losing out and losing interest (taste not the
pierian spring). The next two lines reflect this idea, whereby ‘three shallow draughts’ or small amounts
of learning can poison a man’s thinking via misleading information or lack of understanding of a topic,
unless learnt comprehensively which ‘sobers us again’. Supplied at once with the muse’s inspiration as
fuel for creation, men would test the epitome of artistry as a fearless youth. Our mind is restricted and
limited, so what we observe is shallow and without true understanding. However, through a deeper and
more advance understanding of our surroundings, men shall discover with eagerness and surprise new
element of our life, all interconnected with science. With this new knowledge, men are making attempts
at the tall Alps, scaling over mountains and valleys and almost reaching the skies above, a testament to
our genius. Another testament to this is the bygone age of darkness and despair, whereby ‘eternal
snows’ are replaced by a new age of challenges and amazing prospects (first clouds and mountain seem
the last). Many men are afraid to understand the great effort undergone by intellectuals in their pursuit
of knowledge, leaving them in awe. The increasing prospect from attaining knowledge is ‘tiresome’, only
because it expands our possibilities, where more challenges and adventures await and ‘hills peep o’er
hills, and Alps on Alps arise!’

Main themes:

A. The pursuit of knowledge

The extract by itself will lead the readers to interpret this as an intellectual’s tribute to the pursuit of
knowledge as craved by them, as well as the prospects of said knowledge to improve lives and achieve
more improvements in society. The extract warns against shallow studies, whereby only scraping the tip
of the iceberg, men are unable to fully comprehend a subject, losing out on its majesty. ‘The Pierian
spring’, which is said to be a metaphorical source of knowledge of art and science, is used by pope to
describe the necessity of learning comprehensively, otherwise men can be misled (‘intoxicate the brain’).
By ‘drinking deeply’, only then can one be able to marvel at it’s complexities (‘ sobers us again’).

The muses are also referenced here, which were nine Greek goddesses, serving as inspiration for the
pursuit of knowledge by the intellectuals. Accompanied by this drive , men are able to reach the heights
of knowledge and arts, leaving behind darker times and onwards to better scenes of improvement. Pope
intends this as a message, imploring men or specifically poets to pursue knowledge and craft a better life
for all, accompanied by the “Ancients” as inspiration, leaving behind ‘eternal snows’ and facing ‘Hills
peep o’er hills, and Alps on Alps arise!’

B. Judging one’s character and their work

An essay on criticism speaks of critics of literature and their responsibility as well as the many flaws and
improvements that need to be underwent by such a critic. Pope starts off this stanza by starting ‘a little
learning is a dangerous thing ‘. This could refer to a critic’s irresponsibility when judging a poet’s work,
whereby the critics are easily swayed by small parts of the poem, which could negatively impact the
poem’s meaning, hence why it’s dangerous ‘. Pope goes on to say that critics should ‘drink deep, or taste
not the Pierian spring’. This can be a metaphor, telling the critics to truly appreciate their source of
wisdom or rather the poem itself comprehensively, instead of focusing on it’s specific parts. This can be
explained with a simple analogy: sips of water often do not guarantee one’s taste , hence it is important
to enjoy the entire drink to truly experience or understand it. The next two lines reflect this idea,
whereby ‘three shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again.’

With this context in mind, the poem’s pronoun of choice,’we’ is seen as referencing the poets
themselves. they are seen as fearless youth, tempting the current height of Arts with the inspiration
from the muses. They take short views of the world but understand nothing while their own minds are
bounded. Yet, by expanding their perspectives to be’more advanced’, they are able to ‘behold with
strange surprise new distant scene of endless science rise!’ hence, through their poetry and art, pope
envisions greater achievement and improvements to society, signified through ‘towering Alps’, ‘treading
the sky’ and leaving behind the ‘eternal snows’. Pope also emphasized a poet’s greatness, stating that
people ‘tremble to survey ‘ the effort and sacrifices of those who achieve it . Through this, their
prospects increase and they are able to achieve even more.

Through this elaboration, pope tells us a critic’s shortcomings and their shallow judgement of poetry and
speaks of a poet’s greatness. It can also be seen that the pope as great admiration for these poets,
portraying them as intellectuals giants, qualities that perhaps go by unnoticed by an inexperienced critic.
As such, the pursuit of knowledge can apply to both the critic and the poet, whereby the critic learns to
expand their perspective before handing out their judgement whereas the poet learns to increase their
individual magnificence.

Form/structure:
The poem written in iambic pentameter it consists of five beat lines. Rhyming iambic pentameter
couplets known as heroic couplets. The rhyme scheme of the poem is “AA BB CC DD EE FF GG HH II”. The
trochaic foot begins(stressed and unstressed).

Figure of speech

*Metaphor: a little learning is a dangerous thing

*Personification: scenes of endless science, hills peep o’er hills , and Alps on Alps arise.

*Paradox: drinking only a little learning will make you sober

*Alliteration: (little/ learning) (drink / deep) (strange/surprise)

*Allusion: The Pierian spring, the muses

*Imagery: used to emphasize the brilliance of knowledge and draw attention to key parts of the poem.
Example: (Hills peep o’er hills and Alps on Alps arise!; ‘ tread the sky ‘; ‘towering Alps’; ‘drink deep’)