The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope

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The Rape of the Lockby Alexander Pope
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About Alexander Pope

• ?Born in a Catholic
• family
• Suffered from prejudices
• Educated in Twyford

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About Alexander Pope

• ?Moved to Binfield in 1700
• Self-taught did nothing but read and write
• Suffered from ill health tuberculosis, asthma,
  and headaches

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About Alexander Pope

• ?Moved to Binfield in 1700
• Humpbacked and deformed

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About Alexander Pope

• ?Published An Essay on Criticism in 1711
• First striking success as a poet
• ? Made friends with Jonathan Swift and John Gay

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About Alexander Pope

• ?Published an early version of The Rape of the
  Lock in 1712 (two cantos)
• A funny battle between sexes and follies of a
  young lady

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About Alexander Pope

• ? Expanded The Rape of the Lock in 1714
• (five cantos)
• A quarrel between two families
• ? Characters
• Lord Petre Baron
• Miss Arabella Fermor Belinda

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About Alexander Pope

• ?Background
• John Carylls suggestion to pour poetic oils on
  these troubled waters or
• Hope that a little laughter might serve to
  soothe ruffled tempers.
• ? Popes purpose
• Do not worry about trivial things!

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About Alexander Pope

• ?Translated Iliad and Odyssey into English
• The first man to prove Literature can raise
  writers.

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About Alexander Pope

• ?Published The Dunciad in 1728
• Became professional satirist
• Sleepless themselves to give their readers
  sleep

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About Alexander Pope

• ? Died on May 30, 1744
• The Age of Pope ended

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Summary
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Canto 1

• Belinda awakes from sleeping
• The dream of Belinda
• Belinda prepares for the days social activities

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Canto 2

• The travel on the Thames river
• The prayer of the young adventurer Baron
• The Sylphs mission to tend the Fairto protect
  Belinda
• Brillantethe earrings
• Chrispissathe locks
• ArielShock, Belindas lapdog
• Momentillathe watch
• fifty chosen Sylphsthe petticoat

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Canto 3

• The game of cardsombre
• The rape of the lock

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Canto 4

• Belindas Ill-Natured mood and Affection after
  the loss of the lock
• Umbriel, the earthy gnome, descends to the Cave
  of Spleen
• Thalestris speech rouses the rage of Belinda
• Sir Plume bids in vain the payment of the lock

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Canto 5

• Clarissas speech
• The battle of belles and beaux
• The lock rises to the heaven and becomes a star

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Writing Style

• Epic
• Mock epic
• Structure

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Epic, the Characteristics

• A long narrative poem
• Elevated, grand style
• Great heroes and heroines
• The setting is vast in geographical range
• Supernatural power

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Epic Conventions

• The theme is usually the adventure of a hero or a
  war.
• Invocate the Muses aid. (Calliope)
• Ask epic question(s).
• Begin with in medias res.
• Use epithets and similes.
• Gods interference in human affairs.

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Mock Epic

• A work designed to ridicule attitudes, style, or
  subject matter by handling either an elevated
  subject in a trivial manner or a low subject with
  mock dignity (Karl 30).
• Renders a trivial subject ridiculous by treating
  it with the elaborate (Karl 31).
• Compare small things with something great.

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Epic/ Mock Epic
Traditional Epic The Rape of the Lock
Invoke the aid of the muse Calliope Say what strange motive, Goddess! Could compel (1. 7)
Begin with in medias res No
Gods are involved Spirits (Sylphs, Gnomes, Nymphs) are involved

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The Epic Question
Among the gods, who brought this quarrel on? (Iliad) 1 What dire offense from amorous causes springs, What mighty contests rise from trivial things, 7 Say what strange motive, Goddess! Could compel A well-bred lord to assault a gentle belle? Oh, say what stranger cause, yet unexplored, Could make a gentle belle reject a lord? In tasks so bold can little men engage, And in soft bosoms dwells such mighty rage?
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Homeric Simile
Achilles, fast in battle as a lion. Hera, whose arms are white as ivory. Quick as her eyes (2. 10), Bright as the sun (2. 13), Shrink his thin essence like a riveled flower (2. 132), And falls like thunder on the prostrate Ace (3. 98).
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Homeric Epithet
man-killer Hector sharp-eyed Hermes Bolt-hurling Zeus Fair nymphs, and well-dress'd youths around her shone (2. 5) The long-contended honours of her head (4.140) Why round our coaches crowd the white-glov'd beaux? (5. 13).
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Structure

• Heroic couplet
• Rhymed in every two lines.
• Iambic pentameter
• Ten syllables in each line
• Alternate with stressed and unstressed
  syllables

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Mock Epic
Journey to the underworld The Cave of Spleen (ill nature of female hypochondriacs) (4. 1)
Sacrifice offering to gods before an important war or journey Baron sacrifices his former love-token. (2.35)
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Mock Epic
Battle Cliches, frowns and angry glances, snuff and bodkin. So spoke the dame, (5. 35). The card game (Ombre).
Rape of the female chastity Rape of a lock of hair