The Rape of the Lock

§  Pope’s “Essay on Criticism” (1711) can be called a critical manifesto of Neoclassical principles.

§  Neoclassicism embodied a group of attitudes toward art and human existence — ideals of order, logic, restraint, accuracy, “correctness,” “restraint,” decorum, and so on, which would enable the practitioners of various arts to imitate or reproduce the structures and themes of Greek or Roman originals.

§  Neoclassicism dominated English literature from the Restoration in 1660 until the end of the eighteenth century.

§  To a certain extent, Neoclassicism represented a reaction against the Renaissance view of man as a being fundamentally sound and possessed of an infinite potential for spiritual and intellectual growth.

§  Neoclassical theorists, by contrast, viewed man as an imperfect being, inherently sinful, with limited potential.

§  They replaced the Renaissance emphasis on the imagination, on invention and experimentation, and on mysticism with an emphasis on order and reason, on restraint, on common sense, and on religious, political, economic and philosophical conservatism.

§  Their favorite prose literary forms were the essay, the letter, the satire, the parody, the burlesque, and the moral fable; in poetry, the favorite verse form was the rhymed couplet, while the theatre saw the development of the heroic drama, the melodrama, the sentimental comedy, and the comedy of manners.

·       Born into a Catholic family, which restricted his education due to anti-Catholic laws in England.

·       Suffered from Pott’s disease, a form of tuberculosis affecting the spine, which deformed his body and left him with a severe hunchback.

·       He never married, though he maintained close friendships with various literary figures, including Lady Mary Wortley Montagu.

Influences on Pope

·       Inspired by classical writers such as Homer, Virgil, Horace, and Juvenal and English poets like Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, and John Dryden.

·       Dryden’s heroic couplets heavily influenced Pope’s style.

·       French neoclassical critics like Nicolas Boileau shaped his approach to literary criticism.

Contemporary Circle

·       Around 1711, Pope befriended Tory writers Jonathan Swift, John Gay, Thomas Parnell, and John Arbuthnot, forming the satirical Scriblerus Club.

·       He interacted with Joseph Addison and Richard Steele, though his rivalry with Addison led to strained relations.

Contemporary Literary Scene

·       Pope thrived during the Augustan Age, a period dominated by neoclassicism, satire, and rationalism.

·       Writers like Swift, Addison, and Steele shaped public discourse through essays and satire.

·       His works reflected the era’s fascination with mock-heroic poetry and biting social commentary.

Pope’s Critical Theories

·       His An Essay on Criticism (1711) laid out his literary principles, emphasizing clarity, order, and adherence to classical models.

·       Advocated that poetry should follow universal truths, not personal whims, exemplified in his famous line: “True wit is nature to advantage dressed.”

·       He stressed harmony between art and nature as essential to great literature.

Views on Gender

·       Pope followed tradition and affirmed women as inferior to men both intellectually and physically.

·       Carolyn Williams contends that the certainty of male dominance in 18th-century Britain shaped his writing.

Major Works

·       The Rape of the Lock – A mock-heroic poem satirizing aristocratic vanity.

·       The Dunciad – A satirical attack on mediocre poets and cultural decay.

·       An Essay on Criticism – A guide to poetic principles.

·       Essay on Man – A philosophical exploration of human nature and divine order.

·       Translations of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, widely read but debated in literary circles.

Contemporary Reception of His Works

·       Regarded as England’s leading poet during his lifetime.

·       His translations of Homer were commercially successful.

·       Works like The Dunciad sparked controversy due to his sharp critiques of rival writers.

Current Estimate of His Works

·       Pope is recognized as a master of satire and poetic form, though his heroic couplets now feel stylistically rigid.

·       His influence on English literary criticism remains significant.

·       His works continue to be studied for their wit, precision, and social commentary.

·       First published anonymously in Lintot’s Miscellaneous Poems and Translations (May 1712) as a two-canto version (334 lines).

·       Revised and expanded in March 1714, now in five cantos (794 lines), with the addition of supernatural machinery and engravings.

·       The final version appeared in 1717, including Clarissa’s speech on good humor, which added a moral dimension to the satire.

Historical Context and Inspiration

·       The poem was inspired by a high-society quarrel between Arabella Fermor (the “Belinda” of the poem) and Lord Petre, who snipped a lock of her hair without permission, causing a rift between their aristocratic Catholic families.

·       Pope wrote the poem at the suggestion of his friend John Caryll, who hoped that a humorous take on the incident would diffuse tensions between the families.

Influences and Literary Techniques

·       Pope derived his sylphs from the 17th-century French Rosicrucian novel Comte de Gabalis, which described elemental spirits inhabiting the four elements—sylphs (air), salamanders (fire), nymphs (water), and gnomes (earth).

·       The poem uses the traditional grandeur of classical epics to emphasize the triviality of the incident, creating a mock-heroic effect.

·       The abduction of Helen of Troy in Homeric epics is humorously reduced to the theft of a lock of hair.

·       The gods of classical epics become minute sylphs, who fuss over Belinda’s beauty and vanity.

·       The description of Achilles’ shield in The Iliad is transformed into an excursus on one of Belinda’s petticoats, highlighting the absurdity of aristocratic concerns.

·       Pope parodies epic conventions, using invocations, lamentations, exclamations, and similes, sometimes imitating actual speeches from Homer’s Iliad.

Epic Conventions in a Humorous Manner

·       Journey on the Thames – A parody of the perilous sea voyage in classical epics, as Belinda sails to Hampton Court.

·       Invocation of the Muse – Pope humorously invokes his friend, John Caryll, instead of a divine muse, reinforcing the mock-heroic tone.

·       Smallness of length implies pettiness of action – The poem’s brevity contrasts with traditional epics, emphasizing the triviality of the subject matter.

·       Preparation for the battle of the sexes – The card game (ombre) is described as a heroic battle, foreshadowing the later conflict over the stolen lock.

·       Pettiness of action – The cutting of the lock is treated with epic seriousness, mimicking the dramatic stakes of war and conquest.

·       Supernatural machinery of the Sylphs – The sylphs act as guardians of female chastity, mirroring the divine interventions in classical epics, but their efforts ultimately fail.

·       Glimpses of the underworld – The gnome Umbriel’s descent into the Cave of Spleen mirrors the hero’s journey to the underworld in traditional epics, but here it serves to retrieve sighs, sobs, and tears rather than wisdom or prophecy.

Initial Reception (1712–1714)

·       The poem was originally written to diffuse tensions between two aristocratic families after a trivial dispute over a stolen lock of hair.

·       It was well received for its wit, elegance, and mock-heroic style, which elevated a petty social incident to epic proportions.

·       Pope expanded the poem in 1714, adding the supernatural machinery of the Sylphs, which further enhanced its satirical brilliance.

·       While many admired its clever satire, some members of the aristocracy, including Arabella Fermor, the real-life inspiration for Belinda, were offended by Pope’s portrayal.

18th-Century Literary Circles

·       The poem was praised by contemporary critics for its refinement, structure, and humor, solidifying Pope’s reputation as a leading poet of the Augustan Age.

·       It was seen as a perfect example of neoclassical wit, blending social commentary with poetic elegance.

·       Some critics, however, felt that Pope’s mock-heroic treatment trivialized serious literary traditions.

Modern Critical Perspectives

·       Today, The Rape of the Lock is recognized as a masterpiece of satire that offers insights into 18th-century aristocratic vanity and gender dynamics.

·       Scholars analyze its social critique, particularly its commentary on fashion, superficiality, and the role of women in society.

·       Some feminist critics argue that Pope’s portrayal of Belinda reflects male-dominated literary traditions, while others see her as a symbol of female agency within societal constraints.

·       The poem’s mock-heroic style continues to be admired for its brilliant juxtaposition of the trivial and the grand, making it relevant in discussions of satirical literature.

·       The poem is written in heroic couplets, which consist of two rhyming lines in iambic pentameter.

·       This structure was widely used in Augustan poetry, particularly by Pope, to create a balanced and rhythmic flow.

·       Example: > What dire offence from am’rous causes springs, > What mighty contests rise from trivial things.

Meter

·       Each line follows iambic pentameter, meaning it contains ten syllables arranged in five pairs of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables.

·       This meter gives the poem a steady, flowing rhythm, reinforcing its mock-heroic tone.

·       Example with scansion: > What DIRE..|..of FENCE..|..from AM..|..’rous CAUS..|..es SPRINGS, > What MIGHT..|..y CON..|..tests RISE..|..from TRIV..|..ial THINGS.

Figures of Speech

Hyperbole

·       Pope exaggerates descriptions to mock the aristocratic obsession with trivial matters.

·       Examples: > Sol through white Curtains shot a tim’rous Ray, > And ope’d those Eyes that must eclipse the Day. (Belinda’s beauty is exaggerated to rival the sun itself.) > This Nymph, to the Destruction of Mankind, > Nourish’d two Locks which graceful hung behind. (The cutting of Belinda’s lock is treated as a catastrophic event.)

Alliteration

·       Repetition of consonant sounds enhances musicality and emphasis.

·       Examples: > Slight is the subject, but not so the praise. (Canto I, line 5) > And thus in whispers said, or seem’d to say. (Canto I, line 26) > Where Wigs with Wigs, with Sword-knots Sword-knots strive, > Beaux banish Beaux, and Coaches Coaches drive. (Canto I, 101-102)

Anaphora

·       Repetition of words at the beginning of successive lines for emphasis and rhythm.

·       Examples: > What dire offence from am’rous causes springs, > What mighty contests rise from trivial things. (Canto I, lines 1-2) > When kind occasion prompts their warm desires, > When music softens, and when dancing fires? (Canto I, 75-76)

Metaphor

·       Pope uses metaphor to mock aristocratic vanity.

·       Example: > They shift the moving Toyshop of their heart. (Canto I, line 100) (Compares the whims of a young woman to a toyshop, highlighting fickleness.)

Extended Metaphors

·       Pope parodies religious rituals by comparing Belinda’s dressing table to an altar.

·       Example: > And now, unveil’d, the Toilet stands display’d, > Each Silver Vase in mystic Order laid. > First, rob’d in White, the Nymph intent adores > With Head uncover’d, the Cosmetic Pow’rs. > A heav’nly Image in the Glass appears, > To that she bends, to that her Eyes she rears; > Th’ inferior Priestess, at her Altar’s side, > Trembling, begins the sacred Rites of Pride. (Belinda’s beauty routine is exaggerated as a sacred ritual.)

Metonymy

·       Substituting a related term for the intended meaning.

·       Example: > And mighty hearts are held in slender chains. (Canto II, line 24) (Uses “hearts” to represent Belinda’s admirers.)

Personification

·       Pope animates objects and concepts, reinforcing the mock-heroic tone.

·       Examples: > This Nymph, to the destruction of mankind, > Nourish’d two Locks, which graceful hung behind… > In equal curls, and well conspir’d to deck > With shining ringlets the smooth iv’ry neck. (Canto II, 19-22) (The locks “conspire” as if they have agency.) > Love in these Labyrinths his Slaves detains. (Canto II, line 23) (Love is personified as a master holding slaves captive.)

Simile

·       Direct comparisons using “like” or “as” to enhance imagery.

·       Example: > Bright as the sun, her eyes the gazers strike, > And, like the sun, they shine on all alike. (Canto II, 13-14)

Chiasmus

·       A reversal of structure for emphasis and contrast.

·       Example: > “In Tasks so Bold, can little Men engage, > And in soft Bosoms dwell such mighty Rage?” (Contrasts “little men” with “mighty rage” to highlight irony.)

Belinda

·       The protagonist, based on Arabella Fermor, a wealthy and beautiful young woman.

·       Her vanity and charm make her the center of attention, and she is devastated when her lock of hair is stolen.

Ariel

·       Belinda’s guardian sylph, tasked with protecting her beauty and chastity.

·       Warns Belinda of impending danger but fails to prevent the theft of her lock.

Clarissa

·       A young lady at court who hands the Baron the scissors, enabling him to cut Belinda’s lock.

·       Later delivers a moralizing speech, urging women to value inner virtue over external beauty.

Umbriel

·       A mischievous gnome who descends into the Cave of Spleen to collect sighs, sobs, and tears to aggravate Belinda’s distress.

·       Represents melancholy and chaos, contrasting with the airy Sylphs.

Queen of Spleen

·       Underworld goddess who rules over hysteria, melancholy, and bodily dysfunction.

·       Grants Umbriel a bag of sighs and a vial of sorrow, which he uses to intensify Belinda’s frustration.

Thalestris

·       Belinda’s friend, named after the Queen of the Amazons, symbolizing female aggression.

·       Urges Sir Plume to demand the return of Belinda’s lock, escalating the conflict.

Sir Plume

·       Thalestris’s beau, who ineffectively scolds the Baron in an attempt to defend Belinda’s honor.

·       Represents vain and superficial aristocratic men, lacking true courage or conviction.

The Baron

·       The antagonist, based on Lord Petre, who steals Belinda’s lock out of admiration.

·       His obsession with beauty and conquest mirrors the mock-heroic themes of the poem.

Women After Death

Pope humorously suggests that women’s souls transform into elemental spirits based on their temperament:

·       Termagants (violent-tempered women) → Salamanders (spirits of fire) (Fiery and passionate, they continue to burn with intensity.)

·       Gentle and pleasing women → Nymphs (water-spirits) (Soft and flowing, embodying grace and tranquility.)

·       Prudish women → Gnomes (earth-spirits) (Grounded and rigid, representing restraint and conservatism.)

·       Light-hearted coquettes → Sylphs (spirits of air) (Playful and carefree, floating through life with charm and wit.)

Edited by Jack Lynch

https://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Texts/rapelock.html#6

What dire Offence from am’rous Causes springs, 2
What mighty Contests rise from trivial Things,
I sing — This Verse to C——, 3  Muse! is due;
This, ev’n Belinda may vouchfafe to view:
Slight is the Subject, but not so the Praise,
If She inspire, and He approve my Lays.
Say what strange Motive, Goddess! cou’d compel
A well-bred Lord t’assault a gentle Belle?
Oh say what stranger Cause, yet unexplor’d,
Cou’d make a gentle Belle reject a Lord? [1.10]
And dwells such Rage in softest Bosoms then?
And lodge such daring Souls in Little Men?

Sol 4  thro’ white Curtains shot a tim’rous Ray,
And op’d those Eyes that must eclipse the Day;
Now Lapdogs give themselves the rowzing Shake,
And sleepless Lovers, just at Twelve, awake:
Thrice rung the Bell, the Slipper knock’d the Ground,
And the press’d Watch 5  return’d a silver Sound.
Belinda still her downy Pillow prest,
Her Guardian Sylph prolong’d the balmy Rest. [1.20]
‘Twas he had summon’d to her silent Bed
The Morning-Dream that hover’d o’er her Head.
A Youth more glitt’ring than a Birth-night Beau, 6 
(That ev’n in Slumber caus’d her Cheek to glow)
Seem’d to her Ear his winning Lips to lay,
And thus in Whispers said, or seem’d to say.

Fairest of Mortals, thou distinguish’d Care
Of thousand bright Inhabitants of Air!
If e’er one Vision touch’d thy infant Thought,
Of all the Nurse and all the Priest have taught, [1.30]
Of airy Elves by Moonlight Shadows seen,
The silver Token, and the circled Green,
Or Virgins visited by Angel-Pow’rs,
With Golden Crowns and Wreaths of heav’nly Flowers,
Hear and believe! thy own Importance know,
Nor bound thy narrow Views to Things below.
Some secret Truths from Learned Pride conceal’d,
To Maids alone and Children are reveal’d:
What tho’ no Credit doubting Wits may give? 7 
The Fair and Innocent shall still believe. [1.40]
Know then, unnumbered Spirits round thee fly,
The light Militia of the lower Sky;
These, tho’ unseen, are ever on the Wing,
Hang o’er the Box, 8  and hover round the Ring. 9 
Think what an Equipage 10  thou hast in Air,
And view with scorn Two Pages and a Chair. 11 
As now your own, our Beings were of old,
And once inclos’d in Woman’s beauteous Mold;
Thence, by a soft Transition, we repair 12 
From earthly Vehicles to these of Air. [1.50]
Think not, when Woman’s transient Breath is fled,
That all her Vanities at once are dead:
Succeeding Vanities she still regards,
And tho’ she plays no more, o’erlooks the Cards.
Her Joy in gilded Chariots, when alive,
And Love of Ombre, 13  after Death survive.
For when the Fair in all their Pride expire,
To their first Elements the Souls retire:
The Sprights of fiery Termagants 14  in Flame
Mount up, and take a Salamander‘s 15  Name. [1.60]
Soft yielding Minds to Water glide away,
And sip with Nymphs, their Elemental Tea.
The graver Prude sinks downward to a Gnome,
In search of Mischief still on Earth to roam.
The light Coquettes in Sylphs aloft repair,
And sport and flutter in the Fields of Air.

Know farther yet; Whoever fair and chaste
Rejects Mankind, is by some Sylph embrac’d:
For Spirits, freed from mortal Laws, with ease
Assume what Sexes and what Shapes they please. [1.70]
What guards the Purity of melting Maids,
In Courtly Balls, and Midnight Masquerades,
Safe from the treach’rous Friend, and daring Spark, 16 
The Glance by Day, the Whisper in the Dark;
When kind Occasion prompts their warm Desires,
When Musick softens, and when Dancing fires?
‘Tis but their Sylph, the wise Celestials know,
Tho’ Honour is the Word with Men below.

Some Nymphs there are, too conscious of their Face,
For Life predestin’d to the Gnomes Embrace. [1.80]
These swell their Prospects and exalt their Pride,
When Offers are disdain’d, and Love deny’d.
Then gay Ideas crowd the vacant Brain;
While Peers and Dukes, and all their sweeping Train, 17 
And Garters, Stars, and Coronets 18  appear,
And in soft Sounds, Your Grace 19  salutes their Ear.
‘Tis these that early taint the Female Soul,
Instruct the Eyes of young Coquettes to roll,
Teach Infants Cheeks a bidden Blush 20  to know,
And little Hearts to flutter at a Beau. [1.90]

Oft when the World imagine Women stray,
The Sylphs thro’ mystick Mazes guide their Way,
Thro’ all the giddy Circle they pursue,
And old Impertinence expel by new.
What tender Maid but must a Victim fall
To one Man’s Treat, but for another’s Ball?
When Florio speaks, what Virgin could withstand,
If gentle Damon did not squeeze her Hand?
With varying Vanities, from ev’ry Part,
They shift the moving Toyshop 21  of their Heart; [1.100]
Where Wigs with Wigs, with Sword-knots Sword-knots strive,
Beaus banish Beaus, and Coaches Coaches drive. 22 
This erring Mortals Levity may call,
Oh blind to Truth! the Sylphs contrive it all.

Of these am I, who thy Protection claim,
A watchful Sprite, and Ariel is my Name.
Late, as I rang’d the Crystal Wilds of Air,
In the clear Mirror 23  of thy ruling Star
I saw, alas! some dread Event impend,
E’re to the Main this Morning Sun descend. [1.110]
But Heav’n reveals not what, or how, or where:
Warn’d by thy Sylph, oh Pious Maid beware!
This to disclose is all thy Guardian can.
Beware of all, but most beware of Man!

He said; when Shock, 24  who thought she slept too long,
Leapt up, and wak’d his Mistress with his Tongue.
‘Twas then Belinda, if Report say true,
Thy Eyes first open’d on a Billet-doux. 25 
Wounds, Charms, and Ardors, were no sooner read,
But all the Vision vanish’d from thy Head. [1.120]

And now, unveil’d, the Toilet 26  stands display’d,
Each Silver Vase in mystic Order laid.
First, rob’d in White, the Nymph intent adores
With Head uncover’d, the cosmetic Pow’rs.
A heav’nly Image in the Glass appears,
To that she bends, to that her Eyes she rears;
Th’ inferior Priestess, at her Altar’s side,
Trembling, begins the sacred Rites of Pride.
Unnumber’d Treasures ope at once, and here
The various Off’rings of the World appear; 27  [1.130]
From each she nicely 28  culls with curious Toil,
And decks the Goddess with the glitt’ring Spoil.
This Casket India‘s glowing Gems unlocks,
And all Arabia breathes from yonder Box.

The Tortoise here and Elephant unite,
Transform’d to Combs, the speckled and the white.
Here Files of Pins extend their shining Rows,
Puffs, Powders, Patches, Bibles, Billet-doux.
Now awful 29  Beauty puts on all its Arms;
The Fair each moment rises in her Charms, [1.140]
Repairs her Smiles, awakens ev’ry Grace,
And calls forth all the Wonders of her Face;
Sees by Degrees a purer Blush arise,
And keener Lightnings quicken in her Eyes.
The busy Sylphs surround their darling Care;
These set the Head, and those divide the Hair,
Some fold the Sleeve, while others plait the Gown;
And Betty‘s 30  prais’d for Labours not her own.

Canto II

Not with more Glories, in th’ Etherial Plain,
The Sun first rises o’er the purpled Main,
Than issuing forth, the Rival of his Beams
Lanch’d on the Bosom of the Silver Thames.
Fair Nymphs, and well-drest Youths around her shone,
But ev’ry Eye was fix’d on her alone.
On her white Breast a sparkling Cross she wore,
Which Jews might kiss, and Infidels adore.
Her lively Looks a sprightly Mind disclose,
Quick as her Eyes, and as unfix’d as those: [2.10]
Favours to none, to all she Smiles extends,
Oft she rejects, but never once offends.
Bright as the Sun, her Eyes the Gazers strike,
And, like the sun, they shine on all alike.
Yet graceful Ease, and Sweetness void of Pride,
Might hide her Faults, if Belles had faults to hide:
If to her share some Female Errors fall,
Look on her Face, and you’ll forget ’em all.

This Nymph, to the Destruction of Mankind,
Nourish’d two Locks, which graceful hung behind [2.20]
In equal Curls, and well conspir’d to deck
With shining Ringlets her smooth Iv’ry Neck.
Love in these Labyrinths his Slaves detains,
And mighty Hearts are held in slender Chains.
With hairy Sprindges 31  we the Birds betray,
Slight Lines of Hair surprize the Finny Prey,
Fair Tresses Man’s Imperial Race insnare,
And Beauty draws us with a single Hair.

Th’ Adventrous Baron the bright Locks admir’d,
He saw, he wish’d, and to the Prize aspir’d: [2.30]
Resolv’d to win, he meditates the way,
By Force to ravish, or by Fraud betray;
For when Success a Lover’s Toil attends,
Few ask, if Fraud or Force attain’d his Ends.

For this, e’re Phoebus rose, he had implor’d
Propitious Heav’n, and ev’ry Pow’r ador’d,
But chiefly Love — to Love an Altar built,
Of twelve vast French Romances, neatly gilt. 32 
There lay three Garters, half a Pair of Gloves;
And all the Trophies of his former Loves. [2.40]
With tender Billet-doux 33  he lights the Pyre,
And breathes three am’rous Sighs to raise the Fire.
Then prostrate falls, and begs with ardent Eyes
Soon to obtain, and long possess the Prize:
The Pow’rs gave Ear, and granted half his Pray’r,
The rest, the Winds dispers’d in empty Air.

But now secure the painted Vessel glides,
The Sun-beams trembling on the floating Tydes,
While melting Musick steals upon the Sky,
And soften’d Sounds along the Waters die. [2.50]
Smooth flow the Waves, the Zephyrs 34  gently play,
Belinda smil’d, and all the World was gay.
All but the Sylph — With careful Thoughts opprest,
Th’ impending Woe sate heavy on his Breast.
He summons strait his Denizens of Air;
The lucid Squadrons round the Sails repair:
Soft o’er the Shrouds Aerial Whispers breathe,
That seem’d but Zephyrs to the Train beneath.
Some to the Sun their Insect-Wings unfold,
Waft on the Breeze, or sink in Clouds of Gold. [2.60]
Transparent Forms, too fine for mortal Sight,
Their fluid Bodies half dissolv’d in Light.
Loose to the Wind their airy Garments flew,
Thin glitt’ring Textures of the filmy Dew;
Dipt in the richest Tincture of the Skies,
Where Light disports in ever-mingling Dies,
While ev’ry Beam new transient Colours flings,
Colours that change whene’er they wave their Wings.
Amid the Circle, on the gilded Mast,
Superior by the Head, was Ariel plac’d; [2.70]
His Purple Pinions 35  opening to the Sun,
He rais’d his Azure Wand, and thus begun.

Ye Sylphs and Sylphids, to your Chief give Ear,
Fays, Fairies, Genii, Elves, and Dæmons hear!
Ye know the Spheres and various Tasks assign’d,
By Laws Eternal, to th’ Aerial Kind.
Some in the Fields of purest ’ther play,
And bask and whiten in the Blaze of Day.
Some guide the Course of wandring Orbs on high,
Or roll the Planets thro’ the boundless Sky. [2.80]
Some less refin’d, beneath the Moon’s pale Light
Hover, and catch the shooting stars by Night;
Or suck the Mists in grosser Air below,
Or dip their Pinions in the painted Bow,
Or brew fierce Tempests on the wintry Main,
Or o’er the Glebe 36  distill the kindly Rain.
Others on Earth o’er human Race preside,
Watch all their Ways, and all their Actions guide:
Of these the Chief the Care of Nations own,
And guard with Arms Divine the British Throne. [2.90]

Our humbler Province is to tend the Fair,
Not a less pleasing, tho’ less glorious Care.
To save the Powder from too rude a Gale,
Nor let th’ imprison’d Essences exhale,
To draw fresh Colours from the vernal Flow’rs,
To steal from Rainbows ere they drop in Show’rs
A brighter Wash; to curl their waving Hairs,
Assist their Blushes, and inspire their Airs;
Nay oft, in Dreams, Invention 37  we bestow,
To change a Flounce, or add a Furbelo. 38  [2.100]

This Day, black Omens threat the brightestFair
That e’er deserv’d a watchful Spirit’s Care;
Some dire Disaster, or by Force, or Slight,
But what, or where, the Fates have wrapt in Night.
Whether the Nymph shall break Diana‘s Law, 39 
Or some frail China Jar receive a Flaw,
Or stain her Honour, or her new Brocade,
Forget her Pray’rs, or miss a Masquerade,
Or lose her Heart, or Necklace, at a Ball;
Or whether Heav’n has doom’d that Shock must fall. [2.110]
Haste then ye Spirits! to your Charge repair;
The flutt’ring Fan be Zephyretta‘s Care;
The Drops 40  to thee, Brillante, we consign;
And Momentilla, let the Watch be thine;
Do thou, Crispissa, tend her fav’rite Lock;
Ariel himself shall be the Guard of Shock.

To Fifty chosen Sylphs, of special Note,
We trust th’ important Charge, the Petticoat. 41 
Oft have we known that sev’nfold Fence to fail;
Tho’ stiff with Hoops, and arm’d with Ribs of Whale. [2.120]
Form a strong Line about the Silver Bound,
And guard the wide Circumference around.

Whatever spirit, careless of his Charge,
His Post neglects, or leaves the Fair at large,
Shall feel sharp Vengeance soon o’ertake his Sins,
Be stopt in Vials, or transfixt with Pins.
Or plung’d in Lakes of bitter Washes lie,
Or wedg’d whole Ages in a Bodkin‘s Eye: 42 
Gums and Pomatums 43  shall his Flight restrain,
While clog’d he beats his silken Wings in vain; [2.130]
Or Alom-Stypticks with contracting Power
Shrink his thin Essence like a rivell’d Flower.
Or as Ixion 44  fix’d, the Wretch shall feel
The giddy Motion of the whirling Mill,
In Fumes of burning Chocolate shall glow,
And tremble at the Sea that froaths below!

He spoke; the Spirits from the Sails descend;
Some, Orb in Orb, around the Nymph extend,
Some thrid the mazy Ringlets of her Hair,
Some hang upon the Pendants of her Ear; [2.140]
With beating Hearts the dire Event they wait,
Anxious, and trembling for the Birth of Fate.

1. Nolueram . . . tuis: “Belinda, I did not want to violate your locks, but I am glad to have given that much to your prayers.” From the Roman epigrammatic poet Martial, 12.84.

2. The opening suggests the beginning of Homer’s Iliad.

3. C—— is John Caryll, a Catholic friend of Pope.

4. Sol, the sun.

5. The press’d Watch: “Repeater” watches would chime the hour and minute when the stem was pressed, allowing people to know the time in the dark.

6. Birth-night Beau, a young man dressed fashionably to celebrate the king’s birthday.

7. What tho’ . . . may give: “So what if doubting wits should give no credit?”

8. Box, the most expensive seats in the theatre.

9. The Ring, a fashionable drive through Hyde Park.

10. Equipage, “Attendance; retinue” (Johnson, who quotes this passage from Pope in the Dictionary).

11. Chair, “A vehicle born by men; a sedan” (Johnson, who quotes this passage from Pope in the Dictionary). Two pages and a chair would be a very luxurious way to travel.

12. Repair, “To go to; to betake himself” (Johnson).

13. Ombre, “A game of cards played by three” (Johnson).

14. Termagant, “A scold; a bawling turbulent woman” (Johnson).

15. Salamanders were believed to live in fire.

16. Spark, “A lively, showy, splendid, gay man. It is commonly used in contempt” (Johnson).

17. Train, those who follow after.

18. Garters, Stars, and Coronets, signs of various orders of knighthood and nobility.

19. Your Grace, the proper mode of address to a duke or duchess.

20. Bidden Blush, that is, a blush brought out by rouge.

21. Toyshop, “A shop where playthings and little nice manufactures are sold” (Johnson, who quotes this passage from Pope in his Dictionary).

22. Where Wigs with Wigs . . .: Pope parodies his own translation of Iliad 4.508-9: “Now Shield with Shield, with Helmet Helmet clos’d,/ To Armour Armour, Lance to Lance oppos’d.” Sword-knot, “Ribband tied to the hilt of the sword” (Johnson, who quotes these lines from Pope in his Dictionary).

23. In the clear Mirror: “The Language of the Platonists, the writers of the intelligible world of Sprits, etc.” — Pope’s note.

24. Shock, a lapdog.

25. Billet-doux, “love letter.”

26. Toilet, “A dressing table” (Johnson).

27. The various Off’rings of the World appear: The editors of the Twickenham Edition point out this passage in Spectator 69: “The single Dress of a Woman of Quality is often the Product of an Hundred Climates. The Muff and the Fan come together from the different Ends of the Earth. The Scarf is sent from the Torrid Zone, and the Tippet from beneath the Pole. The Brocade Petticoat rises out of the Mines of Peru, and the Diamond Necklace out of the Bowels of Indostan.”

28. Nicely, “precisely, with great care.”

29. Awful, “awe-inspiring.”

30. Betty, a common name for a maidservant.

31. Springe, “A noose which fastened to any elastick body catches by a spring or jerk” (Johnson).

32. Gilt, covered with gold on the edges of the pages.

33. Billet-doux, “love letters.”

34. Zephyr, “The west wind; and poetically any calm soft wind” (Johnson).

35. Pinions, “wings.”

36. Glebe, “Turf; soil; ground” (Johnson).

37. Invention, “Excogitation; act of producing something new” (Johnson).

38. Furbelo, “Fur sewed on the lower part of the garment; an ornament of dress” (Johnson, who quotes this passage from Pope in the Dictionary).

39. Diana is the goddess of chastity.

40. Drops, “diamond earrings.”

41. Petticoat, “The lower part of a woman’s dress” (Johnson, who quotes this passage from Pope in the Dictionary). Petticoats were often stiffened with whale bones.

42. Bodkin, “An instrument to draw a thread or ribbond through a loop” (Johnson, who quotes this passage from Pope in the Dictionary).

43. Pomatum, ointment for the hair.

44. Ixion: In Greek mythology, the king Ixion was bound to a wheel as punishment for his love for Hera.

A.    Mock epic

B.     heroi-comical poem

C.    Heroic mock epic

D.    Heroic poetry

2.     Pope imitated the heroic characteristics

A.     Homer, Virgil, Dante and Milton

B.     Homer, Virgil, Dante and Dryden

C.    Homer, Virgil, Dryden and Shakespeare

D.    Homer, Virgil, Dante and Rocicrusian

3.     The duration of the poem is

A.     One day

B.     Two days

C.    Three days

D.    Four Days

4.     The poem begins at

A.     Noon

5.     Who is Umbriel?

A.     A sprite who enters the cave of the Queen of Spleen to seek help for Belinda

6.     Who is Queen of Spleen?

A.     Underworld goddess who gives Umbriel gifts for Belinda.

7.     The poem is based on an actual incident in which

A.     a British nobleman, Lord Petre, cut off a lock of hair from the head of the beautiful lady, Arabella Fermor.

8.     Where does the climax of the epic reach?

A.     when the Baron cuts off one of Belinda’s locks.

9.     The main figure of speech in The Rape of the Lock is

A.     Hyperbole

10.   “Sol thro’ white curtains shot a tim’rous ray”. Here ‘tim’rous’ means

A.     Shy

11.     Who is described as “Fairest of mortals”?

A.     Belinda

12.    “Fairest of mortals” is the description is ironic?

A.     No [Pope had real admiration for the heroine]

13.    “To Maids alone and Children are reveal’d” What does the poet want to convey?

A.     Certain secrets are revealed only to maidens like Belinda and to children [implying innocence of Belinda. Pope also tries here to make the readers believe in his supernatural machinery]

14.   “The light Militia of the lower sky” refers to

A.     The Sylphs

15.    “Hang o’er the Box, and hover round the Ring” The Box and the Ring refer to

A.     Theatre Box and circular road in Hyde Park

16.   Think what an equipage thou hast in Air” Equipage means here

A.     Army

17.    “And view with scorn two Pages and a Chair.” What does the poet mean?

A. A vehicle born by men; a sedan

18.   “From earthly Vehicles to these of air.” What does Pope means here?

A.     Conversion of beautiful women into Sylphs after death

19.   Succeeding vanities she still regards” Here Pope means that

A.     After the death of womn she still retains here interest in all forms of amusements

20.  What does Pope refer to as ‘Ombre’?

A.     A card game, which involves three players and a deck of 40 cards.

21.    “This erring mortals Levity may call; / Oh blind to truth! the Sylphs contrive it all.” The meaning is

A.     Humans think that young women are responsible for their frivolous and flirtatious behavior (levity), but the truth is that Sylphs cause this behavior. 

22.   “He said; when Shock, who thought she slept too long” Who is Shock?

A.     Belinda’s dog

23.   “Billet-doux” means

A.     Love letter

24.  “And now, unveil’d, the Toilet stands display’d” ‘Toilet’ means

A.     dressing table or dressing room.

25.   “Th’ inferior Priestess” refers to

A.     Maid-servant

26.  “And decks the Goddess with the glitt’ring spoil” What are referred to here as glitt’ring spoil”

A.     Belinda’s jewels and ornaments

27.   “The Tortoise here and Elephant unite” . Here tortoise and elephant refer to

A.     Comb made from tortoise shell and ornaments or decorations of ivory

28.  “The Tortoise here and Elephant unite”  What is the figure of speech?

29.  “Puffs, Powders, Patches, Bibles, Billet-doux.” What does the words invoke?

A.     A sense of frivolity in elevated manner

30.  “Which Jews might kiss, and Infidels adore.” The line is an instance of

A.     Religious and racial hatred.

31.    “Love in these labyrinths his slaves detains” The poet means here that

A.     Young men are caught up/ in love with her beautiful curls (labyrinths) of hair, becoming slaves to her beauty.

32.   “For this, ere Phoebus rose, he had implor’d” Phoebus refers to

A.     The sun god, Apollo, driving his bright golden chariot in the sky

33.   “…to Love an Altar built,/Of twelve vast French Romances, neatly gilt” What convention does Pope use here

A.     The epic convention of sacrifice before a great battle

34.   “Belinda smil’d, and all the world was gay.” Pope here presents his heroine

A.     As a divine beauty

35.   “Or o’er the glebe distil the kindly rain” Here ‘glebe’ means

A.     The globe

36.  “Whether the nymph shall break Diana’s law” What is meant by Diana’s law?

A.     That women preserve their chastity

37.    “The flutt’ring fan be Zephyretta’s care”. Who was Zephyretta?

A.     Sprite in charge of regulating the wind generated by a fan.

38.   “The drops to thee, Brillante, we consign” ‘drops’ means

A.     Earrings [in charge of Brillante]

39.  “And, Momentilla, let the watch be thine”

A.     Sprite in charge of watching the time 

40.  Do thou, Crispissa, tend her fav’rite Lock

A.     Sprite in charge of guarding Belinda’s favorite lock of hair.

41.    Ariel himself shall be the guard of Shock

42.  “Our humbler province is to tend the Fair” Ariel tells other Sylphs that their humble duty is

A.     to protect the honour and decorations of beautiful women

43.    “Alum styptics with contracting pow’r” ‘styptics’ means

A.     Preparations that stop bleeding

44.  “Or, as Ixion fix’d, the wretch shall feel”

A.     In Greek mythology, King of Lapithae, who dared to fall in love with Hera, queen of the gods and wife of Zeus. To punish him, Zeus had him tied in Hades to a wheel that revolved nonstop. 

45.  “There stands a structure of majestic frame”. Pope here refers to

A.     The royal palace at Hampton Court 

46.  Supernatural machinery is known as

A.     Dues ex machina [used from the classical antiquities]

47.  How did Aristotle look upon dues ex machina in the Poetics?

A.     As an inferior device

48.  How would you describe Pope’s attitude to women in The Rape of the Lock?

A.    Humorous

B.     Sympathetic

C.    Biased

D.    Gender-biased

49.  Pope along with John Gay, Jonathan Swift, Thomas Parnell and John Arbuthnot formed the satirical club

A.     Scriblerus Club

B.     The Spectator

C.    The Satirists Club

D.    Satira Britannica

50.  Choose the correct option

A.     In spite of satirising her character Pope presented Belinda as beautiful woman sometimes with a touch of divinity

B.     In spite of satirising her character Pope presented Belinda as beautiful woman sometimes with a touch of normalcy

C.    In spite of satirising her character Pope presented Belinda as beautiful woman sometimes with a touch of simplicity

D.    Pope presented Belinda as a woman to be satirised for her activities

51.    What does Pope satirize in the TROL?

A.     Absurdities and frivolities of the fashionable aristocratic ladies and gentlemen of 18th-century England

52.   Who requested Pope to write the TROL?

A.     John Caryll asked Pope to write a light poem that would put the episode of the rape of the lock into a humorous perspective and reconcile the two families.