casual reader might not know his larger works, such as
The Rape of the Lock
, almost everyone remembers his pithy witticisms and observations. It was Pope who invented such time-honored phrases as, âTo err is human, to forgive, divine,â and âFor fools rush in where angels fear to tread.â But many of those remarks might never have been uttered without the timely intervention of Popeâs Great Dane, Bounce.
Throughout his life, Pope always kept large dogsâusually Great Danes, usually named Bounce. They were part companions, part bodyguards. The poetâs habit of attacking critics, other writers, and prominent professionals in his satirical works earned him a long list of ill-wishers, some of whom (Pope feared) might stoop to physical violence. And since Pope was only four feet, six inches (137 cm) tall and severely debilitated by a form of tuberculosis that attacks the spine, he wasnât a physical match for anyone. For this reason, according to his sister, he never went for walks without pistols in his pockets and his loyal dog Bounce at his side.
His vigilant canine companion did save his life one night, though not from someone heâd savaged in print. Popeâs valet resigned unexpectedly and a replacement was quickly hunted down. But that very evening, Pope awoke in the middle of the night to find the new valet creeping up on his bed with a knife. Knowing the poet was too weak to resist, the man intended to kill him and steal the money Pope kept lying around the house. But the new valet hadnât anticipated the presence of Bounce, who sprang from beneath the bed, knocked the would-be killer to the floor, and summoned help with his thunderous barking.
With Bounceâs help, Pope lived to write another day, and to make the following too-true observation: âHistories are more full of the examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends.â
PEPS AND FIPS
THE DOGS WHO HELPED WAGNER
COMPOSE HIS OPERAS
The great composer Richard Wagner enjoyed a lifelong love affair with dogs, two of whom actually helped him work. The first, Peps, was a furry muse. Wagner would pound out notes on his piano, then glance over to see if Peps, who sat on his own stool, approved. Wagner noticed that the dog showed distinct reactions to certain musical phrases, giving him the then-new idea of associating particular melodies in his operas with specific characters, settings, or moods.
Armed with this dog-given insight, Wagner began the composition of his masterwork, a collection of four operas known collectively as
The Ring of the Nibelung
. But before the great maestro finished, Peps sickened and died. Wagner was devastated, but he soon acquired a new dog named Fips. One day, as he continued his work on the Ring cycle, Wagner took Fips for a walk in the park. As the dog darted back and forth, rustling through the dry leaves, the composer discerned a catchyrhythm in Fipsâs steps, which he decided to incorporate into his music. Thus, in the opera
Siegfried
, the passage denoting the title characterâs journey through a forest is derived from the footfalls of Fips.
CHARLEY
THE DOG WHO INSPIRED
JOHN STEINBECK
Plenty of novelists take on collaborators. Such was the case for John Steinbeck, the Pulitzer Prizeâwinning author of
East of Eden, Grapes of Wrath
, and many other important books. It was 1960, and Steinbeck, in his late fifties, was recovering from a stroke. But he didnât want to start acting like an invalid. Instead, he went on a road trip. He bought a customized motor home, which he named
Rocinante
, after Don Quixoteâs horse, and he and his traveling companionâhis black standard poodle, Charleyâhit the road on September 23, 1960. The two of them rambled for twelve thousand miles (19,000 km), through thirty-seven states plus parts of Canada, before returning to their New York home in January 1961.
As it turned out, Charley more than pulled his weight on
The Rape of the Lock
, almost everyone remembers his pithy witticisms and observations. It was Pope who invented such time-honored phrases as, âTo err is human, to forgive, divine,â and âFor fools rush in where angels fear to tread.â But many of those remarks might never have been uttered without the timely intervention of Popeâs Great Dane, Bounce.
Throughout his life, Pope always kept large dogsâusually Great Danes, usually named Bounce. They were part companions, part bodyguards. The poetâs habit of attacking critics, other writers, and prominent professionals in his satirical works earned him a long list of ill-wishers, some of whom (Pope feared) might stoop to physical violence. And since Pope was only four feet, six inches (137 cm) tall and severely debilitated by a form of tuberculosis that attacks the spine, he wasnât a physical match for anyone. For this reason, according to his sister, he never went for walks without pistols in his pockets and his loyal dog Bounce at his side.
His vigilant canine companion did save his life one night, though not from someone heâd savaged in print. Popeâs valet resigned unexpectedly and a replacement was quickly hunted down. But that very evening, Pope awoke in the middle of the night to find the new valet creeping up on his bed with a knife. Knowing the poet was too weak to resist, the man intended to kill him and steal the money Pope kept lying around the house. But the new valet hadnât anticipated the presence of Bounce, who sprang from beneath the bed, knocked the would-be killer to the floor, and summoned help with his thunderous barking.
With Bounceâs help, Pope lived to write another day, and to make the following too-true observation: âHistories are more full of the examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends.â
PEPS AND FIPS
THE DOGS WHO HELPED WAGNER
COMPOSE HIS OPERAS
The great composer Richard Wagner enjoyed a lifelong love affair with dogs, two of whom actually helped him work. The first, Peps, was a furry muse. Wagner would pound out notes on his piano, then glance over to see if Peps, who sat on his own stool, approved. Wagner noticed that the dog showed distinct reactions to certain musical phrases, giving him the then-new idea of associating particular melodies in his operas with specific characters, settings, or moods.
Armed with this dog-given insight, Wagner began the composition of his masterwork, a collection of four operas known collectively as
The Ring of the Nibelung
. But before the great maestro finished, Peps sickened and died. Wagner was devastated, but he soon acquired a new dog named Fips. One day, as he continued his work on the Ring cycle, Wagner took Fips for a walk in the park. As the dog darted back and forth, rustling through the dry leaves, the composer discerned a catchyrhythm in Fipsâs steps, which he decided to incorporate into his music. Thus, in the opera
Siegfried
, the passage denoting the title characterâs journey through a forest is derived from the footfalls of Fips.
CHARLEY
THE DOG WHO INSPIRED
JOHN STEINBECK
Plenty of novelists take on collaborators. Such was the case for John Steinbeck, the Pulitzer Prizeâwinning author of
East of Eden, Grapes of Wrath
, and many other important books. It was 1960, and Steinbeck, in his late fifties, was recovering from a stroke. But he didnât want to start acting like an invalid. Instead, he went on a road trip. He bought a customized motor home, which he named
Rocinante
, after Don Quixoteâs horse, and he and his traveling companionâhis black standard poodle, Charleyâhit the road on September 23, 1960. The two of them rambled for twelve thousand miles (19,000 km), through thirty-seven states plus parts of Canada, before returning to their New York home in January 1961.
As it turned out, Charley more than pulled his weight on
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