<P> The Vanity of Human Wishes: The Tenth Satire of Juvenal Imitated is a poem by the English author Samuel Johnson. . It was written in late 1748 and published in 1749 (see 1749 in poetry). It was begun and completed while Johnson was busy writing A Dictionary of the English Language and it was the first published work to include Johnson's name on the title page . </P> <P> As the subtitle suggests, it is an imitation of Satire X by the Latin poet Juvenal . Unlike Juvenal, Johnson attempts to sympathize with his poetic subjects . Also, the poem focuses on human futility and humanity's quest after greatness like Juvenal but concludes that Christian values are important to living properly . It was Johnson's second imitation of Juvenal (the first being his 1738 poem London). Unlike London, The Vanity of Human Wishes emphasizes philosophy over politics . The poem was not a financial success, but later critics, including Walter Scott and T.S. Eliot, considered it to be Johnson's greatest poem . Howard D. Weinbrot called it one of the great poems in the English language ." </P> <P> In 1738 Johnson composed London, his first imitation of Juvenal's poetry, because imitations were popularised by those like Pope during the 18th century . When Johnson replaced Edward Cave with Robert Dodsley as his publisher, he agreed with Dodsley that he would need to change the focus of his poetry . Johnson's London is concerned primarily with political issues, especially those surrounding the Walpole administration, but The Vanity of Human Wishes focuses on overarching philosophical concepts . </P>

Central theme of the vanity of human wishes