From the Collection:
Alexander Pope
The text of An Essay on Man was the result of a tortuous composition process. Pope first made prose notes on the philosophical arguments he wished to put forth, then worked out couplets on scraps of paper and composed a first draft. On fresh sheets, shown here, he neatly copied the verses he had composed thus far and reworked them heavily. Another fair copy with further revisions followed. Even after the poem was published, Pope continued to refine it for later editions. Dr. Johnson, who studied examples of Pope's manuscripts, found them a source of delight for those who wish "to trace the mind from the rudeness of its first conceptions to the elegance of its last."
Located in midtown Manhattan, the Morgan houses one of the world's greatest collections of artistic, literary, and musical works, from ancient times to the medieval and Renaissance periods to the present day.
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Please note: The McKim Building is closed for restoration June 1, 2010 through October 30, 2010.
(All other areas of the Morgan will remain fully operational during the course of the project.)
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Photography by Todd Eberle. © 2006 Todd Eberle.
Madison Avenue entrance photo by Michel Denancé.




