The poem “The Rape of the Lock”, written by Alexander Pope, first became available for public reading in 1712. The poem is a mock heroic and Pope is criticizing the upper class of London and their ways of that time. This poem saw many stages and got modified with each. Its length was two cantos … Read more
Pope’s Use of the Heroic Couplet in Rape of the Lock The heroic couplet is a verse unit of two rhymed iambic pentameter lines. It is “heroic measure” because of its association with the heroic and epic poetry in the seventeenth century under the French influence. The most prominent poet of this age, who used … Read more
A Mock-heroic poem is a poem which uses a formal and grand style to describe a trivial or common subject for which this style is not suitable. This leads to a comic effect since the style of the poem is mismatched with the subject. Rape of the lock is one of the best examples of … Read more
The Rape of the Lock as a Social Satire The Purpose of Satire in Rape of the Lock: Alexander Pope was one of the best satirists England has ever produced. The function of a satirist is didactic and his object is the reformation of humankind and their follies and foibles. The satirist has a yardstick … Read more
Belinda: A Central Character of the Mock-epic Belinda is a central character of the play. Opening lines of the poem make it very clear to the readers that Belinda is the central character and heroine of this mock-epic. Belinda is a complex character in Rape of the Lock. Her character is presented under different roles … Read more
The Rape of the Lock is a mock-epic and a piece of social satire where Alexander Pope depicts the society of that time. The Rape of the Lock covers many themes, major themes in “The Rape of the Lock” are beauty and appearance, religion and morality, immorality and pursuits of upper class, victory and defeat, … Read more