Pope's The Rape of the Lock

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The Enlightenment's Revolutionary Spirit According to the Oxford Reference Dictionary, "any fundamental change or re ersal of conditions or ideas"!"# constitutes a "re olution"$ Re olution, thus, is the name properly gi en to the se eral departures from tradition %hich the &nlightenment has 'rought$ Tracing 'ack the history of the &nlightenment, (illiam )risto% descri'es this period in the history of %estern thought and culture, stretching roughly from the mid*decades of the se enteenth century through the eighteenth century, as "characteri+ed 'y dramatic re olutions in science, philosophy, society and politics, these re olutions ha e s%ept a%ay the medie al %orld* ie% and ushered in our modern %estern %orld"!-#$ ".an's emancipation from his self*imposed nonage"!/#, "the placing of secular reason as the ultimate 0udge of all sorts of dogma or authority" !1#, "the dissolution of myths and the su'stitution of kno%ledge for fancy" !2# are notions central to the &nlightenment's thought$ Neoclassicism Amid such radical de elopments, it %as highly unlikely that literature remains untouched$ A literary mo ement kno%n as 3eoclassicism, therefore, came into 'eing$ 4nlike other &nlightenment's trend, neoclassicism does not completely denounce the entire legacy of the past, instead, it "dra%s its name from the fact that it found in classical literature and in contemporary 5rench neoclassical %ritings models for its literary expressions$" !6# 7hris )aldick maintains that "the central assumption of neoclassicism %as that the ancient authors had already attained perfection, so that the modern author's chief task %as to imitate them$" !8# 4nderstanda'ly, neoclassicism populari+ed Aristotle's theory of imitation "'ut the poet he !Aristotle# has counseled must not simply copy %hat he finds 'efore him$" !9# :ere, comes the role of the poet's inno ation %hich no eighteenth*century man of letters %as more representati e of than Alexander Pope$ As a translator, critic, satirist, editor of ;hakespeare and philosophical poet, Pope "studied the classics %ith deep lo e$" !<# Pope's allegiance to anti=uity must not, ho%e er, 'e exaggerated 'ecause he, for the first time in &nglish, has inno ated "a medium appropriate for a poet %ho %as engaging in a massi e epic translation 'ut %hose temperament %as satiric"!">#, namely, that of the mock epic$ Mock Epic ?n an unheroic era, it %as almost unfeasi'le for the classics*enthusiast Pope to %rite an ?liad*like epic in the strict sense of "a long erse narrati e 'ased on a serious su'0ect, told in a formal and ele ated style, and centered on a heroic or =uasi*di ine figure$" !""# 3onetheless, the era's pre alent spirit of satire, this "literary manner %hich 'lends a critical attitude %ith humor and %it for the purpose of impro ing human institutions or humanity" !"-#, inspired Pope to attempt at the mock*epic genre that encompasses the t%o$ .ock epic is, as defined 'y :olman, "a literary form %hich uses the epic formulas to make ridiculous a tri ial su'0ect 'y ludicrously o erstating it"!"/#, thus 'ecoming a re olutionary genre 'ased on "a comic 'reaching of the canon of fit style @ the principle, that is, that the content and style of a %ork should 'e in sympathy %ith each other$"!"1#

The Rape of the Lock Pope's The Rape of the Lock is perhaps the first and finest &nglish poem %ritten in the mock*epic style$ Originally %ritten as an attempt to reconcile t%o 7atholic families after a high*society =uarrel o er the cutting of a fine lady's lock of hair, The Rape of the Lock expounds on the tri ial su'0ect in highly polished erse$ This, ho%e er, creates a disparity %hich sho%s Pope's satirical intent$ 3early all the elements one expects from an epic Pope

Pope's The Rape of the Lock

manages to cram into the compass of his essentially satirical poem starting from "the in ocation of a deity, the formal statement of the theme, the di ision into 'ooks and cantos, the grandiose speeches Achallenges, defiances, 'oastingsB of the heroes, descriptions of %arriors Aespecially their dress and e=uipmentB, 'attles, and games, the use of the epic or :omeric simile, !to# the employment of supernatural machinery$" !"2# The Rape of the Lock was originally written in two cantos but, after the fashion of gran epics, appeare in a later version as enlarge to five cantos! "anto # pro ides an insight into the domestic %orld of )elinda, her %aking up, dreaming and making up at her toilet$ The ery opening lines of 7anto ? set the tone for the rest of the poem 'y formally stating the theme of the poemC (hat dire offence from am'rous causes springs, (hat mighty contests rise from tri ial things, The structure of the heroic couplets allo%s Pope to hold "dire offence" and "am'rous causes" in the first line, and correspondingly "mighty contests" and "tri ial things" in the second, in parallel$ Parallelism in this respect ser es to make clear Pope's point that the %arring 'et%een the t%o sexes as e oked in The Rape is a su'0ect too slight and tri ial although "not so the praise$" 7on entionally, Pope proceeds to in oke the ".use"$ A pun, ho%e er, is certainly intended for )elinda is not the "she" %ho inspires Pope 'ut so she is intended to fancy$ ;imilarly, %hen )elinda is descri'ed as the "5airest of mortals" %hose thought is "infant" and ie%s "narro%", her self*%orship ine ita'ly dupes her into appreciating the effulgent style %ithout grasping the true meaning 'eyond the ostensi'le praise, that she is a pitiful and tri ial mortal$ ;uch techni=ues are essential to "flatter the pilloried indi idual 'y a degree of %itty distortion that the ictim could en0oy$" !"6# (hile her 'eauty is hyper'olically cele'rated A'those eyes that must eclipse the day'B, she is depicted as a spoiled girl %ho doses her %ay through the day irresponsi'ly and %akes up only to knock the floor for attention$ ?n a parody of epic and 'i'lical dreams, )elinda is put to sleep 'y a "Duardian ;ylph" %ho %arns her in a dream of the impending calamity @ this 'eing the danger of the other sex and the theft of the Lock$ This sylph, Ariel, is 'ut one of the "unnum'ered spirits" %hich ho er around )elinda after the fashion of the machinery or "the supernatural 'eingsEgods, angels, de ils, nymphs, etc$E %ho take part in the action of an epic$"!"8# 3ear the end of 7anto ? comes the most %idely de'ated passage in the poem, the one descri'ing )elinda's dressing*ta'le, %here the "s%eep of the epic action is reduced to 'oudoir scale"!"9#C :ere files of pins extend their shining ro%s, Puffs, Po%ders, Patches, )i'les, )illet*doux$ 3o% a%ful )eauty puts on all its arms, The fair each moment rises in her charms, Repairs her smiles, a%akens e 'ry grace, And calls forth all the %onders of her face, ;ees 'y degrees a purer 'lush arise, And keener lightnings =uicken in her eyes$ The consonance in ")i'les" and ")illet*doux" sho%s that )elinda, in her self*de otion and her arrangement of 'i'les among similarly plural o'0ects of cosmetic and amatory causes, is near 'lasphemy$ Like an epic hero is armed for mighty %ars, )elinda A'a%ful 'eauty'B is ready %ith all her %eapons of femininity to engage in %ar of the sexes$ ?t is also made clear that e erything a'out )elinda is made artificial, e en her smiles need to 'e repaired until she 'ecomes the o'0ect of desire she %ishes to 'e$ "anto ## 'egins 'y introducing )elinda as interacting for the first time in the poem %ithin a social circle$ 5ollo%ing a sensuous account of )elinda's physical attracti eness, a

Pope's The Rape of the Lock

hyper'olic statement, e en thought to 'e outrageous, is made$ That is %hen the sparkling cross she %ears 'ecomes something "(hich Fe%s might kiss, and ?nfidels adore"$ .oreo er, the motif of )elinda's tri iality continues to come in ogue %ith a simile %here she is compared to the sun %hich "shines on all alike"$ :er heart and cele'rated 'eauty are not one man's possession, instead she is the o'0ect of e ery man's desire$ 4nderlining such "tone of high*flo%n adoration %hich thinly eils a cynical contempt" !"<# is the age's attitude regarding %oman as 'eing a goddess, yet a little 'etter than a doll$ 5urthermore, the scene s%itches to sho% the "ad enturous )aron", %ho normally stands for Lord Peter, as he performs rituals including prayers and sacrifice that tally those %hich an epic hero typically performs %hen preparing for mighty 'attles$ &ntreating PhG'us, for instance, stands out as an outspoken allusion to Hirgil's epic$ "anto ### is in aria'ly the climax of the poem %here the long foreseen incident takes place and )elinda's Lock is ra ished$ ?t starts off 'y gi ing an account of the society of Iueen Anne and ho% it encompasses contrasts ranging from serious affairs of the state to small talk and social gossip$ The game of Om're after%ards 'egins and is e oked in military idiom corresponding to that of descri'ing the great epic 'attles$ )elinda 'ecomes, in her ie%, an epic hero as her cards take on the aspect of martial forcesC Thus far 'oth armies to )elinda yield, 3o% to the )aron fate inclines the field$ :is %arlike Ama+on her host in ades, Th' imperial consort of the cro%n of ;pades$ According to Pat Rogers, Pope 'y descri'ing such tri ialities in terms of a military operation "'rings out the pretension and ulgarity of %ould*'e fine ladies$" !-># .oreo er, it has often 'een argued that this 'attle seen in the light of the poem as a %hole can 'e construed as sym'olic of "a climatic 'attle 'et%een men and %omen$" !-"# The keynote, nonetheless, is stricken %hen the actual rape of the lock occurs %hile )elinda sips her coffee$ The scene is fully en isaged %ith poetic imagery appealing to all fi es senses, namely, olfactory, gustatory, kinesthetic, isual and auditory imagery$ The "fuming li=uor" is "sipp'd" 'y )elinda %hile the smoke is "fann'd" 'y the guarding sylphs %ho are at the same time taking care of her "rich 'rocade"$ :er lock, moreo er, is "radiant", the scissors "glittering" and the case from %hich they are extracted "shining"$ ;uch are the factors %hich prompt the 'aron to se er the scared hair "from the fail head, for e er, and for e erJ" The mortifying incident 'ecomes complete %hen )elinda ents her spleen$ A po%erful metaphor e en compares the inflamed )elinda %ith trou'led skies sending flashes of lightening$ "anto #$ expounds on )elinda's %rathful response and her demand that the lock must 'e restored$ The opening lines of the canto illustrate that )elinda's anguish is incompara'le e en %hen set off against the pains of an=uished kings, of %omen %ho 'ecome old maids, of tyrants %ho die %ithout repenting, and of a %oman %hose dress is dishe eled$ O' iously, "her reaction", as Paul )aines points out, "is heroic, 'ut harshly mocked$" !--# )y placing such disparate sorts of aggra ation in parallel, Pope accentuates the a'solute necessity of assigning them to some rank of moral import$ The effect is to chastise a tri ial social %orld that fails to make these distinctions$ The canto also ser es as a sort of parody of the under%orld 0ourneys, 4m'rielKs 0ourney to the 7a e of ;pleen mimics the 0ourneys to the under%orld made 'y 'oth Odysseus and Aeneas$ "anto $ is the resolution of the poem's action %here )elinda's Lock is %afted to finally 'e a star adorning the sky$ The conclusion of this canto is decidedly its most cele'rated episode since it is not only designed to compliment the lady 'ut also to gi e the genius and the transcendent significance of Pope's %ork their due creditC Then cease, 'right 3ymphJ to mourn thy ra ish'd hair,

Pope's The Rape of the Lock

(hich adds ne% glory to the shining sphereJ 3ot all the tresses that fair head can 'oast, ;hall dra% such en y as the Lock you lost$ 5or, after all the murders of your eye, (hen, after millions slain, yourself shall dieC (hen those fair suns shall set, as set they must, And all those tresses shall 'e laid in dust, This Lock, the .use shall consecrate to fame, And 'midst the stars inscri'e )elinda's name$ The hyper'olic language %hich turns )elinda's eyes, %ith a faltering personification, into a %eapon slaying millions typically %orks its magic on her$ 7onse=uently, the poem as a %hole 'ecomes, in )elinda's ie%, a compensatory instrument for the stolen Lock$ "This 'old mythopoeic ending", ho%e er, is meant to "continue the theme of self*regarding and a'surd glitter$"!-/# %ope's work, it is noteworthy, is an organic creation! The recurrent motif of &elin a's frivolity in all five cantos makes it impossible to etach any one of the poem's witty paragraphs an rea it with the same pleasure it arouses when rea in its proper connection! To conclu e, it is e ident that the essential spirit of Pope's age 'reathes from e ery line in The Rape of the Lock$ The poem's success is, in fact, suggesti e of the inno ation and effecti eness of the mock*epic genre$ ?ndeed, Pope has 'rilliantly defied the odds and introduced a 'luntly faithful, yet far from corrosi e, satire of the anity of the eighteenth* century 'eau monde cloaked under the grand style of the classic epics$ Notes: "* :a%kins, Foyce .$ The Oxford Reference Dictionary$ -* )risto%, (illiam$ "&nlightenment", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy A;ummer ->"" &ditionB, &d%ard 3$ Lalta Aed$B, 4RLC MhttpCNNplato$stanford$eduNarchi esNsum->""NentriesNenlightenmentNO /* Pant, ?mmanuel$ "(hat's &nlightenmentQ$" Trans$ Le%is (hite )eck Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals and What Is Enlightenment $ 1* )unnin, 3icholas, and Fiyuan Ru$ "&nlightenment$" The !lac"#ell Dictionary of Western Philosophy$ 2* Adorno, Theodor (, and .ax :orkheimer$ Dialectic of Enlightenment$ Trans$ &dmund Fephcott and &d$ Dun+elin ;chmid 3oerr$ 6* :olman, 7$ :ugh$ $ %and&oo" to 'iterature$ 8* )aldick, 7hris$ The (oncise Oxford Dictionary of 'iterary Terms$ 9* Tillotson, Deoffrey$ On the Poetry of Pope$ <* Rogers, Pat$ The $ugustan )ision$ ">* )aines, Paul$ The (omplete (ritical *uide to $lexander Pope$ ""* A'rams, .$ :$ $ *lossary of 'iterary Terms$ "-* :olman$ "/* :olman$ "1* Terry, Richard$ "&pic and .ock*:eroic"$ $ (ompanion to Eighteenth+century Poetry$ &d$ 7hristine Derrard$ "2* :olman$ "6* :ammond, )rean$ "Herse ;atire"$ $ (ompanion to Eighteenth+century Poetry$ &d$ 7hristine Derrard$ "8* )aldick$ "9* Rogers$ "<* Parrot$ ->* Rogers$

Pope's The Rape of the Lock

-"* Rum'old, Halerie$ $lexander Pope, The Rape of the 'oc" and -Eloisa to $&elard-$ --* )aines$ -/* Rogers$