Since the poem is based on such a minor incident, Pope was forced to find ways to make it significant. That Pope thought his poem was significant can be seen in his having written it in , revised it extensively in , and then revised it again in As he said, the poem was meant as a diversion to point out certain follies. As he revised it, however, it became much more than a peace offering. In fact, it became a masterpiece. These airy sprites flutter through the poem, imitating in a miniature way the supernatural machinery of the real epics.
Again, Pope has taken the lofty conventions of epic poetry and reduced them to the size of his poem, thereby achieving humorous effects and simultaneously making a comment about the nature of eighteenth-century society, as we will see.
If She inspire, and He approve my Lays. First, the new reader should not be put off by the eighteenth-century convention of capitalizing nouns. Instead, look at how Pope loves to use balance as a stylistic device. And again I urge the reader to read sentences, not lines, and to read the poem aloud. On a first reading, it might appear that the poem is hopelessly sexist, that it targets women and makes them look foolish and empty-headed. For instance, early in the poem we are told by Ariel, the chief of the sylphs, that the sylphs are simply the spirits of women who have died:.
And then Pope takes this point even further when Ariel says,. This erring Mortals Levity may call, Oh bling to Truth! These people who occupy the upper echelons of society, both the men and the women, are shallow and hardly deserving of their status.
The problem is that they can also be charming. These characters are not simply villains whose villainy is held up to ridicule. They are perfect products of their society who have adopted, without questioning, the attitudes and behaviors of that society. In other words, she worships herself. Clearly this couple were made for each other. Or they are destined for an incredible battle.
Or both. But there is a serious level to all this foolishness as well. Belinda, to whom Honor by which we are to understand her reputation for chastity is the highest good, does everything in her power to make herself seductive, though she is required to fight off anyone whom she seduces. At the same time, the baron, under the pretense of love, is himself bent on seduction. They are both operating within accepted societal boundaries. As the poem says,. The Augustan.
Pope significantly employs two of these writing styles in Rape of the Lock ; the use of classical models and the use of satire in order to correct human flaws. Other characteristics of classical epics include:. Presence of spirits or supernatural beings- Sylphs are present in this poem; they are like miniature gods and goddesses that are present in Greek epics.
Soldiers preparing for battle- Epics often describe in-depth the armor and weapons that soldiers use for battle, and in Rape of the Lock , Pope uses this method to describe Belinda preparing herself with things such as combs and pins. Satire- Pope uses satire in this poem to paint a portrait of England at this time and to point out its moral flaws.
By making a huge deal out of such a trivial thing, Pope is mocking his society. If the biggest problem these people have is that a lock of hair is stolen from a girl, then they have it pretty good, and Pope uses this poem in an attempt to hold a mirror up to his own society.
Belinda: Beautiful young lady with wondrous hair, two locks of which hang gracefully in curls. The Baron: Young admirer of Belinda who plots to cut off one of her locks.
Clarissa : Young lady who gives the Baron scissors to cut off the lock Umbriel: Sprite who enters the cave of the Queen of Spleen to seek help for Belinda. Queen of Spleen: Underworld goddess who gives Umbriel gifts for Belinda.
Thalestris: Friend of Belinda. Sir Plume: Beau of Thalestris. One of the effects of the whole poem is to show that the glitter and refinement of this world can be a veneer to cover the basest human motives. Pope also shows us, in a mock version of the heroic underworld, the human casualties of the 'beau-monde'.
This is harsh criticism, but since we see these people in a context of suffering the response Pope demands seems to include as much pity as laughter. Although condemning the 'beau-monde' for its triviality and lack of proper moral values, Pope is sensitive to the plight of the human beings caught up in its 'rat-race'. Behind the ridicule which Pope achieves through his satire, we detect a depth of understanding in his attitude towards Belinda's predicament.
Belinda's honour is very important for her future, even if in a broader context her idea of 'honour' is seen to mean little more than 'reputation'. Belinda has to steer a difficult path on which she has to attract prospective husbands yet not get a reputation as a coquette. The words of Thalestris represent a very real danger if she should veer too far on one direction.
This understanding and sympathy renders the poem more likely to be accepted by Mrs Arabella Fermor, to whom it is addressed, and more likely to achieve its intended aim of reconciling the Fermor and Petre families. Behind the comparisons between the epic world and the 'beau-monde' Pope also looks at the contrast between the ideals and the reality of the 'beau-monde' itself.
The opening lines of the second paragraph introduce this theme:. The 'motives' and 'causes' are as basic as human motives and causes anywhere. Sexual passion, for example, would hardly be openly admitted in polite society, yet it always lurks just below the surface. One example of this is in the title of the poem, for the act of cutting off a lock of hair can be seen, even if only as a joke, as sublimated rape.
Sexuality is also implicit in this couplet:. Here we have an obvious double meaning which not only exposes the trivialising of a Christian symbol but also reveals the underlying purpose of Belinda's meticulous attention to her appearance. He merely took the most elite group of women in his time period and emphasized their daily activities. He added a few magical elements, and comedic relief to assist in his goal of exposing the eighteenth century woman in vain.
The Rape of the Lock is a poem in which things, not people, are the heroes Crehan Throughout the poem, Pope put emphasizes material items; below are some of the major trivial objects:. Baron had an extreme desire to cut the curl from Belinda's head. He becomes entirely obsessed with a lock of hair, but not the girl. In many ways his fetish takes over and it becomes a game in which he must catch his prize.
What he wants is not a woman's love; it is a "Prize," a valued thing: "He saw, he wish'd, and to the Prize aspir'd. For a good portion of the poem the reader gets a glimpse of Belinda's time on her Toilette as she is preparing herself to meet with her peers.
With the assistance of her servants, she gets this overwhelming and magical feeling when she is finished dressing. Pope focuses on the idea that Belinda believes that her material items are what makes her beautiful, such as her powder puff.
When she looks in the mirror after she is finished, she smiles and claims that she has been "Transform'd" Pope. Without these material items, Belinda would not feel beautiful. Although she gives the reader the idea that she doesn't feel she is beautiful until she is all done up, she becomes a bit vain when her peers are telling her she is the most beautiful woman.
It is her material items that help Belinda to truly see it herself. Digital image. Berg, Maxine. Berry, Helen. Chico, T. Crehan, Stewart. Dahl, Michael. Alexander Pope. Dyer, Serena. Cover Story. Points of View Reference Center.
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