FRINK Linked Data Fragments server

Matches in SemOpenAlex for { <https://semopenalex.org/work/W2085337477> ?p ?o ?g. }

• W2085337477 endingPage "195" @default.
• W2085337477 startingPage "183" @default.
• W2085337477 abstract "Pope'sshaggyTap'stry: ADiscourseonHistory STEPHENSZILAGYI Despiteallthewranglingamongallthepartiesinwitcurrentlyengaged inrereadingeighteenth-centuryliterature,surelyatleastthehistoricism ofAlexanderPope'sDunciadwillbeuniversallyallowed.TheDunciadis anovertlyhistoricalwork,andnonecandoubtit,althoughwewrite aboutit,Goddess,andaboutit.1Itscontentisexcruciatinglytopical, beingparticularlywell-suppliedwithbiographicalandautobiographical facts.Itspeakstoposterity,aimingtodamnduncestoinfamyandre- commendworthiestofame.Itemploysthehistoricalpremiseofcyclic return.Ascriticism,itsurveysliteraryandintellectualhistory,usually comparingancientandmodernpractices.Italsoseemstoexamineand reflectthesocialandeconomicrealitiesofincipientcapitalism,particu- larlyinthecommercializationofthebooktrade.2 Moreover,theDunciadshistoricismisnotanisolatedphenomenonin Pope'sworks.InhisbiographyofPope,forinstance,GeorgeSherburn emphasizesthatItisclear...hiscreativeinstinctswerealwaysparal- leledbycriticalorhistoricaltendenciesandthatthisconjunctionof impulsesespeciallystimulatedPope'sinterestsineditingandtranslating: Popelovedhistory;andhelovedtinkeringwithphrases,whetherhis ownorthoseofothers.3Asasatirist,Popealwaystrafficsinthehere- and-nowoftheearlyeighteenthcentury,evenwhenhisparticularcriti- cismsoflifeuncovertimelessfolliesandvices.ButitseemsthatPopeis 183 184 / SZlLAGYI soconsciouslyhistoricalbecause,fundamentally,heissoself- consciouslyapoet.InadditiontotheDunciad,Popeelsewhereinhis poetryrevealswhatwasapparentlyadeeplyseatedconvictionthat poetryhasanessentialhistoricalfunction.HislaborsontheHomer translations,forinstance,weremadeevenmoreexactingbyhisdetermi- nationtoelucidatethehistoricalinformationimbeddedintheepics. Similarly,hebelievedhislatersatireswouldineffectPublishthepresent Age,butwheremyText/IsVicetoohigh,reserveitforthenext(Imita- tionsofHorace,Satire2.L,59-69).Andashispartialimitationof Horace'sNinthOdeoftheFourthBookproclaims,hebelievedthatthe poetservedasahistorianfrommostancienttimes: SagesandChiefslongsincehadbirth E'reCaesarwas,orNewtonnam'd, Theserais'dnewEmpireso'ertheEarth, AndThosenewHeav'nsandSystemsfram'd; Vainwasthechief'sandsage'spride TheyhadnoPoetandtheydyd! Invaintheyschem'd,invaintheybled TheyhadnoPoetandaredead! Suchrelationshipsbetweenhistoryandliteraturearenotuncommonin theeighteenthcentury.AsJohnE.Sitterexplains,Thehistoricalself- consciousnessandgrowingcriticalsophisticationthatfollowedtheRen- aissanceweremoldedbyDrydenandlessermenintoaunified,contextualapproachtoaestheticproductivity .Criticismwhichbeforehadbeen primarilyrhetoricalbegantoyieldtowhatwenowcallliteraryhistory, andliteraryhistorynecessarilybecameinseparablefromhistoryasa whole....[And]literaturecomestobeconsideredatleastpartlyasthe expressionofaparticularsociety.4SitterviewsPope'scommentaryon bothHomerandShakespeareasexamplesofthisnewhistoricismand remarksthatPopewasnocriticalpioneer,andtheimportanceofhis perspectiveisthatitismoreorlessrepresentativeofAugustanassump- tionsaboutliterature.5RonaldSchleifer,ontheotherhand,stresses Pope'scriticalinitiativewithintheAugustanliterarymilieu: Pope'sage,likeourown,wasanageofcriticism.Infact,asa translator,animitator,aneditor,andaparodist,Popesituatedhimself inhiscareerasamanofletterspreciselyasaliterarycritic.Mostof hisliteraryproductions...wereinimportantwaysself-consciously critical,self-consciouslyliterary.Infact,onecouldarguethatthe eighteenthcenturyinventedliteratureasaself-containedobjectof attention,andPopebothparticipatedinandhelpeddeterminethe Pope'sshaggyTap'stry / 185 ItendtoagreewithSchleiferinthatwhilePopeisinconcertwiththese moreorlesssharedattitudes,healsoseemstopossessaheightened sensitivitytotheimplicationsofthesenewhistoricalapproachestolitera- ture.Critically,Pope'smindisenergeticallyenquiring,ratherthanstatically representative,asSittersuggests.IntheDunciad,inparticular, Popeprobesthisnewrelationshipbetweenliteratureandhistory,andhe becomesexcitedaboutthepossibilitythatahistoricaleventisprimarilya discursiveevent. TheessenceofPope'sthinkingseemsparticularlyevidentinashort butcrucialpassageoccurringduringthemock-heroicgamesinBook2of theDunciad,whereinEdmundCuriiisprincipallymemorializedina shaggyTap'stry.ThiscontestantistheunspeakableCurii,themuch reviled,unscrupulousearlyeighteenth-centurypublisherwhospecialized inanonymous,pirated,misattributed,andoftenscandaloushacktexts.7 Atthisjunctureinthegames,Curiihasjustlostaraceinpursuitofa phantomauthornamedJosephGay,afictitiousnameputbyCurl beforeseveralpamphlets,whichmadethempasswithmanyforMr. [John]Gay's(380n.120),andtheGoddessDulnessthenproffersa consolationprize: Withthatshegavehim(piteousofhiscase, Yetsmilingathisrufullengthofface) AshaggyTap'stry,worthytobespread OnCodrus'old,orDunton'smodernbed; Instructivework!whosewry-mouth'dportraiture Display'dthefatesherconfessorsendure. Earlessonhigh,stoodun-abash'dDefoe, AndTutchinflagrantfromthescourge,below: ThereRidpath,Roper,cudgell'dmightyeview; Theveryworstedstilllook'dblackandblue: HimselfamongthestoriedChiefshespies, Asfromtheblankethighintheairheflies, 'Andoh!(hecry'd,)whatstreet,whatlane,butknows Ourpurgings,pumpings,blanketingsandblows? Inev'ryloomourlaboursshallbeseen, Andthefreshvomitrunforevergreen!' (2.133-48) Thetapestryepisodereferstothesupposedfatesofseveralduncesbut mostpointedlytoCurll'sactualblanketingbytheboysofWestminster SchoolandhispurgingbyPope.8ThepassageaccordswellwithDustin H.Griffin'sviewofthedunces'receivingpunishmentbyconfinement. InthisattractiveargumentaboutPope'streatmentofthedunces,Griffin hasremarkedonPope'sapparentpleasureinhisownpowersofdestruc- 186 / SΖILAGYI tion,hisabilitytoperpetuatethese'sonsofaday'(11.307)...by immuringtheminaneternalmonument,a'templeofinfamy':9 Popehimselfmayhavehadsomesenseofbuildingadunce'sprison. Sincetheduncesareregularlyassociatedwithbothpovertyand madness,theyarebyeighteenth-centurystandardsappropriately punishedbyconfinement.ButPope'sownimageforthepoemseemsto havebeenamonument,relatedtoaprisonbutricherbecauseit combinestheideasofburialdungeon,permanentbondageinstoneor metal(thatis,dunceasstatue;forexample,Cibber'sbrazen,brainless brothers),andpreservedmemorial.10 ThatCurll'svariouspunishmentsarecontainedinatapestrythatis describedwithinthepoemapparentlysupportsGriffin'sview.Neverthe- less,thesituationisconsiderablymorecomplicated.Thetapestrypas- sagecapsanepisodeinwhichthethemeofCurll'spiraciesdominates. Pope,however,isnotsimplyreciprocatingbyconfiningCuriiwithinthe tapestry.Actually,Curiiisbothinandoutofit,iseveninpossessionof it,andisevenviewingandcommentingonit.Inaddition,theshifttothe pluralinourpurgingsandourlabourspromisesthedistastefulpros- pectofmultipleCurllsatlargethroughoutLondonandallhistory becauseheostensiblyintendstopromoteothertapestriesthatwillpor- traythefamousvomitation,contrivedbyPopehimself. AlthoughGriffin'sformulationmakesalotofsenseuptoapoint,his viewdoesnotsufficientlyaccountforthevitalityoftheduncesandthe otherfunctionofmemorial—toextendlifehistorically,notburyit.Pope doesundoubtedlyemployimagesofconfinement,butsomuchunquali- fiedemphasisshouldnotbeplacedonconstraintandpunishment.After all,asEmrysJoneshasalsoconvincinglyargued,Pope'sattitudetothe duncesishighlyambivalent,evenrevealinganattractiontotheinfantile. InBook2,inparticular,Jonesseesaversionofpreliterateinfancy...a primitivesenseofliberation...completelywithoutself-consciousness ...aformofunconsciousvitality.Thedunces,sohisargumentgoes, arelikeunabashedsmallchildren—butchildrenviewedwiththedis- tanceanddistasteoftheAugustanadult.ItalsoseemsthatPope's apparentfunandhisoutpouringofwitinthesecondbookaresomehow atoddswithasupposedpunitiveorreductiveintentionbecausethereis aqualityofcomplicityinthewriting—'Heav'nringswithlaughter' (ii.121),andthemirthseemstoincludebothpoetandreader—that makesithardtobearinmindthat,fromhis'satirical'pointofview,such writingissupposedtoshowPopemakingafierceretaliatoryattackon hisenemies.12 Ofcourse,theridiculousnessofCuriiandhistapestrymightalsowell supportAubreyWilliams'sfamousargumentthatPopeisintentondis- Pope'sshaggyTap'stry / 187 tortingthehistoricalidentityofeachdunceinthepoemsothatheposes aseriousimpairmentofthevictim'shistoricalstatus.13AdvancingWil- liams'sapproach,MichaelRosenblumjustasreasonablyarguesthat Popetriestosubstitutethepoemforhistory,totranscendtheoccasions whichhaveprovokedthepoembymeansofmakingthepoem.14I believe,however,thattheconfinement,liberation,andhistoricalefface- mentmotifsarenotatoddshere.Instead,theyaremanifestationsof Pope'sviewinghistoricaleventsasdiscursiveevents,withtheresultthat, asacaseinpoint,Curiiishereformedasahistoricalobjectthrough discourse.Popeisnotsubstitutingthepoemforhistory;instead,he demonstratesthathistoricalfiguresandeventsaresubjecttotheforces governingdiscoursegenerally,discursiveandhistoricaleventsnotbeing discretephenomena.Infact,discoursepresupposeshistory.AsPope declaredintheprefacetotheoriginalDunciad:ThePoemwasnotmade fortheseAuthors,buttheseAuthorsforthePoem(433).HerePope says,ineffect,thattheduncesbecomehistoricallyrealonlywhenthey enterthediscourse.Theirfate,theirpurpose,isdiscursive.Conse- quently,theyexistasdiscursiveartifacts. SuchprivilegingofdiscoursealsohasbeenMichelFoucault'spointof departureinboththeArchaeologyofKnowledgeandtheDiscourseon Language,andFoucaultoffersaframeworkwithinwhichPope's achievementmaybemorefullydiscerned.Inhisstudies,Foucaultcon- sidersdiscourseaswriting,reading,andverbalexchange,andthen arguesthatthehistoricalobjectislocatedoridentifiedbytheintersection orconjunctionofvariousdiscursivepracticesthatsystematicallyform theobjectsofwhichtheyspeak.15Furthermore,thehistoricalspeaker ofdiscourseisnotacoherent,unifiedthinking,knowing,speaking consciousness.Instead,itisanenunciatingsubjectthatexistsasamultiplicityofpossiblepositionsandfunctions ,ratherthanasanautono- mousauthororspeaker(231).Inaddition,discourseoccursasaseriesof eventsthathappensometimesinapatternofregularityandsometimes bychance.Inotherwords,adiscourseisanensembleofdiscursive events,ratherthanaunifiedwhole:itisadiscontinuousseries(231). Viewedfromsuchaperspective,thetapestrypassageisindeed,asthe poetsays,anInstructivework,becauseitservesasamodelofrudimen- tarydiscourseandoftheDunciadshistoricism. Itisrudimentaryinthefirstplacebecauseitisostensiblywrittenin picturessignifyinghistoricalevents,orfates.Theseeventsareinan ensemble,ratherthanacompleteandunifiedtext.Theyrepresenta seriesofrelatedbuttotallydiscontinuousevents,whichisevidentfrom thefactthatindescribingthetapestryPopejumpsfromDefoeatthetop onhightoTutchinbelowtoRidpathandRopersomewherein 188 / SZILAGYI between.Theworkalsohastheelementofdiscursiveexchange:both Curll'sremarksonthetapestryandPope'snotesextendthediscourse. Perhapsmostinteresting,however,isthefactthatPopehereinsiststhat Curiiisanobjectformedbydiscourse.Hedoesthisbyfashioningtwo distinctCurlls,butnonethelessdiscursiveCurlls.Curiiisverballypor- trayedblanketedinthetapestry,andheisembodiedasaspeaker.But thenPopealsohasthespeakerCuriigleefullyanticipatehisreappearance inothertapestrieswhichwilladditionallyrecordhisvomitation.More- over,PopeclearlywantstocharacterizethemultipleCurllsasthe creationofseveraldifferentdiscourses. Forinstance,PopecallsthefiguresinthetapestrystoriedChiefs. Thetermcan,thenasnow,implybothactualandfictionalaccounts,as theOxfordEnglishDictionaryrecords:Celebratedorrecordedinhistoryorstory (s.v.,storied2).Pope'snotetothelineonCurll'sblanket- ingaffirmsthatthehistoryofCwWsbeingtoss'dinablanket,and whipp'dbythescholarsofWestminster,isingeniouslyandpathetically relatedinapoementituled[sic]NeckorNothing.Ofhispurgingand vomiting,seeAfullandtrueaccountofahorridrevengeonthebodyof Edm.Curl(384n.143).Thenoteseemstoassertthatthehistoricalfacts ofCurll'spunishmentsdependonaningeniouspoemandonPope's ownbiasedtrueaccount.Furthermore,thedocumentedhistorynow includesthetwotapestriesdescribedinverse,whichwillremainreliable andhighlydesirablepictorialhistories,eventhoughtheonetapestryis itselffictitiousandtheotheronlyenvisionedbyafictionalizedCurii.For Pope,apparently,thedistinctionbetweenfactandfictionisnotimpor- tant.Whatseemstointerestthepoetistheconvergenceofvariousmodes ofdiscourse:actualeventsexistastwostoriesthatconvergeinapoem describingafictitiouseventthatoccasionsadiscourseinwhichtheobject ofalltheintersectingdiscoursesdiscovershimselfandcontinuesthe discourse.Inaddition,themorethepurgingandblanketingarereflected fromtexttotext,fromloomtoloom,fromeditiontoedition,themore Curll'ssurvivalasanarrayofdiscoursesisguaranteed.Popeisinfact underscoringtheetymologicalinseparabilityofstoryandhistory: historybecomesdiscourseanddiscoursebecomeshistory.Theyare essentiallyalternatives,capableofbeingsubstitutedonefortheother. Thisinterpénétrationofhistoryandstoryisalsopresentintwoother potentialsignificationsofPope'sstoriedChiefs.Storiedthenhadan overtlyekphrasticmeaning,nowperhapsrare:ornamentedwithscenes fromhistoryorlegendbymeansofsculpture,painting,needlework,or otherart;also,inscribedwithalegendormemorialrecord(theOxford EnglishDictionary,s.v.,storiedI).Thus,achurchwindowisoften storiedwithabiblicaltext,oranancienturnmightdisplayanepisode Pope'sshaggyTap'stry / 189 fromtheOdyssey,alongwithsuitableinscriptions.Suchisthesensein ThomasGray'sCanstoriedurnoranimatedbust/Backtoitsmansion callthefleetingbreath?inElegyWritteninaCountryChurchyard. Eighteenth-centuryprints,especiallysatiricalworks,wereoftenstoried withexplanatorycaptions.(AnyofWilliamHogarth'sseriesclearlyillus- tratesthepractice.)Infact,thefrontispiecetoNeckorNothing..." @default.
• W2085337477 created "2016-06-24" @default.
• W2085337477 creator A5008131169 @default.
• W2085337477 date "1991-01-01" @default.
• W2085337477 modified "2023-10-17" @default.
• W2085337477 title "Pope's shaggy Tap'stry: A Discourse on History" @default.
• W2085337477 cites W1516318141 @default.
• W2085337477 cites W1592182057 @default.
• W2085337477 cites W1982101365 @default.
• W2085337477 cites W1983815720 @default.
• W2085337477 cites W2000783380 @default.
• W2085337477 cites W2023968473 @default.
• W2085337477 cites W2045801566 @default.
• W2085337477 cites W2054930488 @default.
• W2085337477 cites W2059043810 @default.
• W2085337477 cites W2317032646 @default.
• W2085337477 cites W2802203985 @default.
• W2085337477 cites W589599288 @default.
• W2085337477 cites W595454110 @default.
• W2085337477 doi "https://doi.org/10.1353/sec.2010.0325" @default.
• W2085337477 hasPublicationYear "1991" @default.
• W2085337477 type Work @default.
• W2085337477 sameAs 2085337477 @default.
• W2085337477 citedByCount "0" @default.
• W2085337477 crossrefType "journal-article" @default.
• W2085337477 hasAuthorship W2085337477A5008131169 @default.
• W2085337477 hasConcept C142362112 @default.
• W2085337477 hasConceptScore W2085337477C142362112 @default.
• W2085337477 hasIssue "1" @default.
• W2085337477 hasLocation W20853374771 @default.
• W2085337477 hasOpenAccess W2085337477 @default.
• W2085337477 hasPrimaryLocation W20853374771 @default.
• W2085337477 hasRelatedWork W1531601525 @default.
• W2085337477 hasRelatedWork W2748952813 @default.
• W2085337477 hasRelatedWork W2758277628 @default.
• W2085337477 hasRelatedWork W2899084033 @default.
• W2085337477 hasRelatedWork W2935909890 @default.
• W2085337477 hasRelatedWork W2948807893 @default.
• W2085337477 hasRelatedWork W3173606202 @default.
• W2085337477 hasRelatedWork W3183948672 @default.
• W2085337477 hasRelatedWork W2778153218 @default.
• W2085337477 hasRelatedWork W3110381201 @default.
• W2085337477 hasVolume "20" @default.
• W2085337477 isParatext "false" @default.
• W2085337477 isRetracted "false" @default.
• W2085337477 magId "2085337477" @default.
• W2085337477 workType "article" @default.