John Gay’s greeting to his friend Alexander Pope was not published until 1776. However, its composition dates from around the time that Pope completed his ‘six years toil’ on Homer (3). This was when the two final volumes of his translation of the

appeared in May 1720, although internal clues suggest there may be a hidden reference to the departure of George I for Hanover in the following month. Manuscripts, some in Gay’s hand, survive in the British Library.

One holograph draft preserves in its title an important basis for the work: ‘Alexander Pope his safe return from Troy; a Congratulatory Poem on the compleating of Homer’s Ilias, in the manner of the beginning of the last Canto of Ariosto.’ This refers to Orlando Furioso (1516–32), the great Italian epic by

1334 words

Citation: Rogers, Pat. "Mr. Pope’s Welcome from Greece". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 14 October 2020 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=39354, accessed 23 November 2024.]

• View recommended reading for this article