The Dunciad, Variorum

Utilizing the mock-epic format, Alexander Pope's satirical poem critiques the mediocrity of early 18th-century literary, political, and intellectual cultures. The central figure, the goddess Dulness, embodies ignorance, while each of the three books targets different societal aspects: literature's mediocrity, political corruption, and the pretentiousness of scholarly language. This Variorum edition features extensive scholarly commentary and Pope's own preface, alongside the Prolegomena of Scriblerus, which further satirizes the era's cultural shortcomings.