Final answer:
In his poem 'An Essay on Man', Pope uses antithesis to convey his mixed feelings about human nature.
Step-by-step explanation:
In his 1733 poem, An Essay on Man, Pope uses antithesis to convey his mixed feelings towards human nature.
Through the use of contrasting ideas and opposites, Pope highlights the complexities and contradictions of human nature. This helps the reader understand that Pope's opinions about human nature are not solely positive or negative, but rather a combination of both.
For example, Pope writes, 'Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, / As, to be hated, needs but to be seen; / Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, / We first endure, then pity, then embrace.' Here, he presents the contrast between vice, which is initially hated, and the gradual acceptance and pity that follows.