Which poet is associated with the neoclassical style and authored works such as An Essay on Man and The Rape of the Lock?

• A. Samuel Johnson
• B. Alexander Pope
• C. Laurence Sterne
• D. Samuel Richardson

Answer: (B)

Neoclassical poetry emphasizes orderly form, clear diction, and wit that reflects classical models and moral purpose. Alexander Pope embodies this style most clearly. He writes in polished heroic couplets and uses precise, balanced language to explore big questions about humanity and the universe in An Essay on Man, a work that embodies rational, classical reason and a sense of universal order. At the same time, The Rape of the Lock uses epic conventions—heightened style, mock-heroic seriousness, and elaborate satire—to critique fashionable society, another hallmark of neoclassical verse that combines classical form with social commentary.

Other eighteenth-century writers swing in different directions: Johnson is known for prose and diction aimed at clarity and moral reflection, Sterne for playful, experimental satire, and Richardson for intimate epistolary fiction. None of them pair these two specific works with the same neoclassical emphasis as Pope.