The Rape of the Lock

Mock epic poem written in 1711 by Alexander Pope. It was first published anonymously a year later in 1712 before going through many transformations until the last version which was published along with a collection of Pope’s other works in 1717.

Pope himself described the poem as a “heroi-comical poem” [source?]. It uses parody and satire, combined with the serious tone, elevated style, and many other conventions of classical epic poems such as The Iliad or The Odyssey by Homer as well as Dante’s Divine Comedy and Paradise Lost by John Milton to humorously criticize the society and culture of 18th century England. Despite the grandness of the poem’s style, the subject matter around which the story unfolds is quite trivial.

The story revolves around an aristocratic woman named Belinda, a lock of whose hair is cut and stolen ("raped") stealthily by a Baron. The word rape is used to mean 'steal' or 'snatch' due to its Latin roots but here, Pope purposely makes use of it to hyperbolize the terribleness of the act. This seemingly insignificant incident is thus described by Pope as a “dire offense” in the first line of the poem and he devotes around 600 lines to the conflicts that ensue afterwards. The poem is divided into five cantos (i.e., a section of a long narrative poem). The story is inspired by real events told to Pope by a friend named John Caryll. Belinda is inspired by a real woman named Arabella Fremor who indeed had her hair cut off by an acquaintance which resulted in heated feuds and estrangements between the two noble families. Pope believed that this minor insult was taken too seriously and the ensuing troubles were unnecessary. This can also be seen as one of the main themes of the poem; how high society is occupied with rather trifling matters and human vanity.

Sources

“The Rape of the Lock.” Project Gutenberg’s The Rape of the Lock and Other Poems by Alexander Pope, 2022, https://www.gutenberg.org/files/9800/9800-h/9800-h.htm. Accessed 17 June 2023

“The Rape of the Lock, A Study Guide.” Cummings Study Guide, 2012, https://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides2/Pope.html. Accessed 15 June 2023

“The Rape of the Lock, Summary and Analysis.” Study.com, 2022, https://study.com/learn/lesson/the-rape-of-the-lock-by-alexander-pope-summary-analysis.html. Accessd 15 June 2023

“The Rape of the Lock.” British Literature Wiki, https://sites.udel.edu/britlitwiki/the-rape-of-the-lock/. Accessed 17 June 2023

Nibble Pop. “The Rape of the Lock l Alexander Pope l Theme and Backdrop.” Youtube, presented by Monami Mukherjee, 19 October 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG-GE90wU2c. Accessed 14 June 2023