Alexander Pope was many things, but above all, he was a survivor. Born in London on May 21, 1688, he entered a world that was not built for a boy like him. His family was Roman Catholic at a time when that faith all but guaranteed exclusion from the institutions of power, education, and polite society. Thanks to the penal laws of the day, Pope could not attend university, hold public office, or even reside within ten miles of London or Westminster. On top of that, he suffered from a severe case of Pott disease, a form of tuberculosis that attacked his spine, stunted his growth, and left him physically deformed and often in pain. He grew to just four feet six inches tall, with a hunchback and a frail constitution. But what he lacked in height and health, he more than made up for in genius, wit, and relentless drive.

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