Pope's "Eloisa to Abelard": Stanza Wise Summary
Pope's "Eloisa to Abelard": Stanza Wise Summary An Overview Alexander Pope's "Eloisa to Abelard," published in 1717, draws inspiration from the tragic and tumultuous love story of Peter Abailard and Heloise. This work is an exemplary piece belonging to the genre of heroic epistles, with roots in Ovid's Heroides. The poem is set in the context of a woman addressing a man who has abandoned her, dealing with the theme of "sorrowing or rebellious love." The historical backdrop of the poem is rooted in the passionate and clandestine love affair between Peter Abailard, a renowned scholar, and Eloisa, the 18-year-old niece of Fulbert, a canon in Paris. The secret romance culminated in Eloisa's pregnancy, prompting Abailard to relocate her to Brittany. Despite Eloisa's initial reluctance to marry, fearing the repercussions on Abailard's ecclesiastical career, they eventually returned to Paris for a clandestine wedding. However, Fulbert...