Final answer:
Alexander Pope focused on literary analysis and critique in 'An Essay on Criticism,' emphasizing the rules for critics and poets in creating and analyzing literary works, rather than providing societal satire, philosophical explorations, or autobiographical narratives.
Step-by-step explanation:
Alexander Pope’s “An Essay on Criticism” is a notable work that delves deep into the art of poetry and its criticism. The poem's primary focus is on literary analysis and critique. Pope explores the rules and standards of literary criticism, providing guidance on how critics should approach works of literature, and how writers should craft their works. He analyzes the thematic content of literature, discusses the motivations of characters and narrators, and also delves into the artistic construction of texts. Importantly, while the work makes observations about the characteristics of a 'good' tragedy, similar to Aristotle's Poetics, it is not a biographical piece about the author nor does it provide satirical commentary on society, philosophical exploration, or a historical narrative of the author's life, but rather, it examines the craft of poetry itself.
Literary criticism, as Pope practices it, is not about simply expressing subjective judgments about a work's quality, but rather about making well-founded, analytical, and interpretative statements based on observable structural aspects within the work. For instance, Pope urges readers and critics alike to appreciate the visual impact of a poem on the page, alongside the aural qualities of verse. Through its didactic style, “An Essay on Criticism” reflects Pope's understanding that both poets and critics share a responsibility to the craftsmanship and reception of poetry.