Connecting Collections – The Works of Alexander Pope
Dr Joseph Hone explores the works of Alexander Pope, a leading early eighteenth century English poet, through a selection of rare books held in our collections, that reveal Pope's reading, annotations, friendships, and literary development.
Newcastle University’s Special Collections and Archives holds an extraordinary group of 21 books linked to the poet Alexander Pope (1688–1744). Pope is one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century, celebrated for his wit, precision, and his mastery of the heroic couplet—two rhyming lines with a steady rhythm that create a polished and memorable effect. This is the largest such collection in a public library anywhere in the world, and ten of the volumes carry Pope’s own inscriptions. A selection of these books are showcased in an online exhibition curated by Dr Joseph Hone, Reader in Literature and Book History at Newcastle University, which explores the fascinating history of Pope’s books and highlights the importance of provenance in rare book studies.
The books are found in the Robinson (Marjorie and Philip) Collection, Philip being the bookseller for whom the Philip Robinson Library is named. This collection was bequeathed to us and is a treasure trove of printed material, from an original Gutenberg Bible leaf to incunabula (the term given to the earliest printed books) to rare pamphlets by Daniel Defoe and Jonathan Swift. The Alexander Pope books nevertheless stand out. They fall into three main categories:
First, several books come directly from Pope’s own library, featuring annotations, corrections, and even lines he scratched out in works such as Paradise Lost. Ex libris marks and marginal notes offer vivid evidence of his reading and editing habits.
One of the most important texts in Pope’s early development was John Milton’s Paradise Lost. Milton (1608–1674) was a major English poet, intellectual, and political thinker, best known for his epic poetry and his defence of freedom of speech and religious liberty. Paradise Lost, first published in ten books in 1667 and later reorganised into twelve books in 1674, tells the biblical story of the Fall of Man and is celebrated for its grandeur and innovation. Pope purchased this illustrated seventh edition in 1705 and compared it with his other copies, noting textual differences and marking lines of special significance. His detailed study of Milton’s style would later shape his own epic works, including his translation of Homer’s Iliad.
Dr Hone explores Pope’s engagement with Milton in a Newcastle University Connecting Collections video, focusing on this copy of Paradise Lost. The video highlights Pope’s annotations and comparisons between editions, offering a rare visual insight into his reading and study practices:
The second category of books include ornate presentation copies of Pope’s works, created for his close friends Teresa and Martha Blount. Pope had a deep personal connection with Teresa and is believed to have been in love with her. Although, his feelings for her changed as he came to think of her as vain. He gave her special copies, including The Works of Mr Alexander Pope, some accompanied by short poems reflecting both his affection and literary friendship. Dr Hone speaks more of Pope’s relationship with Martha Blount in this Connecting Collections video:
The third category of books are volumes owned by the Blount sisters more generally.
These books have a remarkable history. Pope originally bequeathed around 60 volumes to the Blount sisters, but by 1972 many had disappeared from their Mapledurham estate. Research by Dr Hone revealed that 21 of these books were purchased by the Robinson brothers in 1951 and are now held in Newcastle University’s Special Collections & Archives. His article, “Pope and the Blounts: Books Formerly at Mapledurham House” (The Library, 7th ser., 24, 2023, 343–70), details this discovery.
