Pope wrote this poem quite late in his life around 1739 (only five years before his death). It’s a thank you note and a very handsome one too addressed to Lady Frances Shirley (1707-1778), the daughter of one of Pope’s neighbours in Twickenham, Earl Ferrers, and a noted beauty.
Pope considers himself armed for the fray by the gift even though the giver reminds him the gift is simply two pens, one steel and one gold and a standish (usually a combined pen dish and inkwell) bought in Bertrand’s. We learn a little more about the context of the gift from the next part of the poem where we hear the giver makes the gift in order that,
“I gave it you to write again.’ There’s a caveat though – the giver warns Pope to be careful who he attacks lest he brings a house (of peers) down upon himself.
It’s this that allows us to place this poem in Pope’s timeline. It was probably 1739 that saw Pope working on the ‘Epilogue to the Satires’ which brought him close to sanction and punishment by the House of Lords. The gift seems to be an encouragement to Pope to keep writing regardless.
I’m guessing that Bertrand’s where the gifts were bought might well be the well-known shop in Bath – a well-known toy shop. ‘Toyshop’ here is a false friend – in Pope’s time it referred to a shop selling luxury goods and trinkets, stationery and jewellery and items for the house.
The Solitary Reader 