Alexander Pope 1688-1744

1. Geschke/British Literature Pope's The Rape of the Lock Alexander Pope(1688-1744) The Rape of the Lock

2. Geschke/British Literature Pope's The Rape of the Lock Background Information Functions as a means of peacemaking A young baron named Lord Petre cut off a curl from the head of Miss Arabella Fermor and refused to return it As a result, a quarrel (nearly resulting in a feud) occurred between the two families Pope�s friend, John Caryll, suggested that he write a poem about this trivial incident to show the absurdity of all the excitement

3. Geschke/British Literature Pope's The Rape of the Lock Background Information The poem makes fun of the combatants by describing them in exaggeratedly heroic language Also has some very sensible things to say about social role-playing and human behavior in general

4. Geschke/British Literature Pope's The Rape of the Lock Background Information Considered to be a mock epic By recalling parallel situation of tragic or heroic importance in famous epic poems (Iliad, the Odyssey, the Aeneid, and Paradise Lost), Pope emphasizes the triviality of his own subject

5. Geschke/British Literature Pope's The Rape of the Lock Background Information Mastery of the heroic couplet A couplet written in iambic pentameter Popular form of verse during the Restoration and eighteenth century Closed couplet a couplet in which the two lines form a complete unit of thought

6. Geschke/British Literature Pope's The Rape of the Lock Canto III The Card Game Compared to a great battle �And parti-colored troops, a shining train,/ Draw forth to combat on the velvet plain.� Eventually, Belinda is able to win the card game

7. Geschke/British Literature Pope's The Rape of the Lock Canto III The Baron Sneaks up on Belinda She turns around often and notices he is getting nearer Cuts off a lock of her hair (the rape of the lock) Believes he has won permanent fame by taking a lock of her hair

8. Geschke/British Literature Pope's The Rape of the Lock Canto III Ariel The main sylph assigned to protect Belinda The sylphs parallel the angels assigned to protect Adam and Eve in Milton�s Paradise Lost Ariel is borrowed from Shakespeare�s The Tempest The sylphs cannot protect Belinda if in her heart she wants the baron to succeed

9. Geschke/British Literature Pope's The Rape of the Lock Canto V Umbriel A melancholy sprite Brings a bag which contains �the force of female lungs,/ Sighs, sobs, and passions, and the war of tongues.� similar to the bag of winds once held by Ulysses

10. Geschke/British Literature Pope's The Rape of the Lock Canto V Umbriel (continued) Empties the contents of the bag over the head of Belinda Immediately she bursts into loud lamentation on the loss of her lock

11. Geschke/British Literature Pope's The Rape of the Lock Canto V Battle between the men and the women � �To arms, to arms!� the fierce virago cries, And swift as lightning to the combat flies. All side in parties, and begin th� attack; Fans clap, silks rustle, and tough whalebones crack; Heroes� and heroines� shouts confus�dly rise, And bass and treble voices strike the skies. No common weapons in their hands are found, Like gods they fight, nor dread a mortal wound.� (1-8)

12. Geschke/British Literature Pope's The Rape of the Lock Canto V Battle between the men and the women Eventually will compare this battle equal to those described by Homer in The Iliad

13. Geschke/British Literature Pope's The Rape of the Lock Canto V Battle between the men and the women This battle is a battle of words and looks Lords and ladies fight �like gods� in an essentially trivial battle The gods, being immortal, did not have to fear death in battle Neither do these participants

14. Geschke/British Literature Pope's The Rape of the Lock Canto V Conclusion Belinda�s lost lock cannot be found The lock becomes a comet in the sky Pope calls on Belinda to cease mourning suggests the muse of poetry will make the lock immortal similar to Shakespeare�s Sonnet 18