First Satire Of the Second Book Of Horace, Imitated

Alexander Pope's "First Satire of the Second Book of Horace, Imitated" is a work from 1733 that adapts themes from the Roman poet Horace's satires to contemporary English society. Pope, a prominent English satirist and poet, used this imitation to comment on the moral and social landscape of his time, particularly the perceived corruption and materialism of 18th-century England.12

This poem is part of a larger series of Horatian imitations Pope produced, where he closely followed Horace's structure and themes but infused them with fresh imagery and contemporary allusions relevant to his English audience. These works, along with others like "An Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot," served as both social commentary and a defense of his own role as a satirist.1