UNIT 5 ALEXANDER POPE

Structure

Objectives Alexander Pope Introduction to Neo- classical Poetry Mock-Heroic Poetry A Brief Sketch of the Poem The Rape of the Lock (Canto 111) Outline of Canto I11 Interpretation Poetic Devices and Style Exercises Summing Up

5.0 OBJECTIVES

In this Unit, we shall discuss an extract from The Rape of the Lock by the 18th C poet, Alexander Pope. At the end of your study of this unit, you will be able to :

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i) state the features of a mock epic poem

ii) describe an outline of the full poem (consisting of all the five Cantos) and

iii) present a detailed interpretation of Canto 111.

The glossary is provided at the foot of each page of the text of the poem (5.5)

5.1 ALEXANDER POPE

ALEXANDER POPE

The Rape of the Lock - Alexander Pope

Pope (1688-1744) is a brilliant English poet of the 18th century. His poetry is the epitome of Neoclassicism (see 5.2) of 18th century England. His poetry is satiric, witty and didactic and technically flawless. His poetry concerns itself with what is "correct" in literature and in social conduct. In his Essay on Criticism, he formulates the basic principles of poetry for his age. The Rape of the Lock is a brilliant piece of mock-heroic poetry on the foiables of fashionable society of the 18th C. Yet another of his masterpiece in the mock-heroic genre is The Dunciad (the epic of Dunces).

5.2 INTRODUCTION TO NEO-CLASSICAL POETRY

In our note on Pope, we said that Pope is the epitome of neo-classicism. What is neo- classical poetry? Why is 18th century poetry termed 'neo-classical poetry'? This is because poetry of the 18th century modelled itself on the classical literature of ancient Greece and Rome and imitated many of its characteristics. The epic form was highly valued during the 18th century for its exalted theme and grand style. The form you will be introduced to in this unit is the mock-epic (also called the mock-heroic) which is modelled on the epic form and which in the 18th century was skilfully adapted for satirical purposes. (Some examples of mock-heroic poems in English are John Dryden's MacFlecknoe and Garth's The Dispensary.) We will analyse The Rape of the Lock with reference to the mock-epic form. Study sections (5.3) and (5.4) before you read the text of the extract given in (5.5). This will help you to place the extract in the context of the full poem.

5.3 MOCK-HEROIC POETRY

The Rape of the Lock had its origin in an actual quarrel that occurred in 17 1 1 between two aristocratic London families - the Petres and the Fermors. The young Lord Petre cut a lock of hair from the head of his distant relative, Arabella Fermor, a young lady renowned for her beauty. This incident caused great embarrassment to the lady and deeply offended her. It caused considerable ill-feeling between the two families. It was suggested to Pope by a common acquaintance and well-wisher, John Caryll, that he should write a poem about the incident "to make a jest of it, and laugh them together again." As Pope himself says, "It was with this view that I wrote the Rape of the Lock."

To facilitate your understanding of mock-heroic poetry let us first discuss heroic poetry, what is generally known as the epic.

An epic is a narrative poem describing heroic events on a vast scale and is therefore referred to as heroic poetry. Such a poem celebrates the achievements in war of great heroes who are remarkable for their courage and resourcefulness. Their actions affect the lives of the entire community they belong to and they come to represent the ideals and values of that group. An epic becomes a poem of celebration glorifying the deeds of individual heroes and also the civilization to which they belong. The theme of an epic is a lofty one and the style used is deliberately grand. The epic poet makes his style 'grand' by using certain literary devices.

i) Some of the words he uses are poly-syllabic and not native English words but those of Latin or Greek origin.

ii) He generally avoids direct and simple descriptions prefening to use elaborate phrases which present the idea or thing in a roundabout way (thls is called periphrasis).

iii) There are often passages of general comment on human nature or life expressed in an abstract way. This is part of the moral intention of the poet but it also serves to elevate the style.

iv) Certain words and phrases which are simple and familiar in themselves are repeatedly used by epic poets and have come to be associated with it. These are called 'stock- phrases'. 'Poetic.diction' or the use of deliberately 'poetic' words is also a feature of the

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epic style.

Undastanding Poetry

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v) The epic or extended simile is an important literary device. The poet frequently compares characters and objects to remote and noble things. The comparison is developed until it becomes'a distinct picture by itself with only a slight connection to the context. Milton's Paradise Lost and Matthew Arnold's Sohrab and Rustom employ epic similes. Though an epic is first and foremost a story told in a particular manner the didactic intention of the poet (or the desire to teach a moral or present an ideal) is also equally important.

The epic has an ancient tradition. The earlie'st Western epics were The Iliad and The Odyssey written by the Greek poet, Homer more than 2,500 years ago. Other important epic poems are The Aeneid (written by the Roman poet, Virgil in the first cent'ury B.C.) and the Divine Comedy (by Dante, the 14th century Italian poet). The most famous epic, poems in English are The Fairie Queene written by Edinund Spenser in the 16th century and Paradise Losf written by John Milton in the late 17th century. You are familiar with the two ancient Indian epics The Ramayana and The Mahabhamta.

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The epics of Homer and Virgil provide the basic characteristic of an epic. The protagonist of an epic is a man endowed with extraordinary physical strength and skilled in warfare. The epic deals with this heroic struggle in the world against forces or opponents of an equally formidable kind. The narrative shodd cover vast stretches of time and space and should convey a sense of the poet's sincere dedication to the task of writing a lofty poem.

An epic begins with the statement of the theme followed by an invocation of the Muse (goddess of poetry). It often begins in the middle of the narrative action (in medias res). Other details include descriptions of battles, of armour and the arming of the hero, intervention of the gods, and a visit to the underworld. Other features which are present but not essential to an epic are descriptions of grand buildings and journeys on water. You will find them in The Rape of the Lock.

Earlier in 5.3, you read that Pope was asked to write a poem concerning a petty quarrel. He had the added task of bringing about a reconciliation between the two parties, by showing the folly of blowing up a trivial incident to magnified proportions. Can you now understand why he used the mock-heroic form?

He makes the petty quarrel assume epic dimensions and thereby ridicules the folly of inflating a trivial incident to serious proportions. Have you heard the phrase, 'to rnake'a mountain out of a mole-hill'? Look up the meaning of this phrase in a dictionary and see whether it is an apt description of the incident in The Rape of the Lock.

The genre perfectly suited Pope's intention and helped to defuse a petty quarrel and place it in its right perspective. It also had the additional benefit of combining the two foqm of epic and satire that were popular in the 18th century.

The immediate examples of the mock-heroic before Pope were the Le Lutrin of Boileau (which inflated a minor dispute in a church to epic proportions), Dryden's MacFlecknoe (which satirizes a literary rival by placing him on the throne of dulness) and Garth's The Dispensary (which treats a dispute over the free distribution of medicines to the poor). Pope .

was notdoing something new but he was improving on what had recently k e n done.

The function of a mock-epic is two fold: It serves as :. .

i) a literary satire and

ii) a moral satire.

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i) The Rape of the Lock is brilliant in its adoption and modification of the epic form. Pope has studied the great epics closely and used their features to highlight the triviality of his subject. The poem provides a humorous parallel to all the principal features of the epic and affords the reader the pleasure of recognising

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parallels in Homer and Virgil. A mock-epic u\es the devices of an epic altered to a The R a p of the Lock - lighter mood. It demands from the poet a comprehensive knowledge of the classical Alexpnder Pope

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epics and satirical skill. In this unit we have given the exact parallels to stimulate your appreciation of the poem.

ii) In a mock-epic the reader is constantly made conscious of the disparity between the trivial subject and the grand style of an epic that is employed to describe it. This incongruity produces amusement which is used by the poet to make his satirical comment. We are made aware of the element of bathos (anti-climax) brought about by the constant descent from the sublime to the ridiculous. The satire in The Rape of the Lock is not directed at any individual but against the excesses of the 'beau-monde' (or fashionable society) and at female pride. Since his aim is to patch up the quarrel, he must satirise folly but without giving serious offence to anybody. The satire in The Rape of the Lock is good-natured unlike his other satires because there is an underlying admiration for the charm of the fashionable society. Pope specially emphasises the importance of 'good humor', 'good sense' and 'virtue' as protection against the petty irritants of social life. Pope suggests that a sensibly detached attitude will enable men and women to view life with equanimity.

5.4 A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE POEM

In its first form The Rape of the Lock appeared in 17 12 (when Pope was 24 years old) and consisted of 2 Cantos. In this short form the poem was a success but Pope recognised the potential for further elaboration, chiefly by the addition of a race of fairy spirits called 'sylphs'. Pope got the idea for the sylphs from the 17th and 18th century 'Rosicrucian' doctrine of supernatural beings as explained by the Comte de Gabalais. In the poem these supernatural creatures act as the guardians of the young heroine in imitation of the gods who protect their favourite mortal heroes in an epic poem. In its final form the poem consisting of 5 Cantos was published in 1714. It is from this final version that the present extract canstituting the 3rd Canto of the poem, has been selected for your study.

The setting for the poem is the beau-monde or the fashionable world of 18th century London society. The heroine of the poem, Belinda (Miss Arabella Fermor in real life) is a society lady. In Canto 1 she has an early morning dream sent by her guardian sylph, Ariel to warn her of an impending disaster. The elaborate ritual performed before the dressing table prepares Belinda for her day. This passage parallels the description of the arming of the epic hero for battle.

Canto 2 opens with a description of Belinda's journey across the River Thames to Hampton ' Court. The poet describes Belinda's locks and the Baron's (Lord Petre in real life) desire to possess them. The Canto ends on an ominous note with Ariel assigning positions to the sylphs around Belinda to protect her from harm. This parallels similar actions of the gods to protect the hero at crucial stages of action in an epic.

Canto 3 describes the elabbrate social 'pastimes at Hampton Court'. A game of cards and the ceremony of serying coffee are described in the same way that an epic poet describes scenes of battle, individual combats between heroes and elaborate feasts after epic deeds or funerals. The Canto ends on a climactic note with the Baron cutting off the lock of Belinda's hair.

In Canto 4 a wicked spirit, Umbriel opens a bag full of 'spleen' (anger and melancholy) which throws Belinda into deep depression. In Homer's Odyssey we have a parallel when Aeolus, the god of the winds opens a bag of furious winds to drive the hero's ship away from its destination. Belinda visualises the terrible implications of this public disgrace and bewails the loss of her hair.

Canto 5 contains the moral of the poem where good humour and good sense are recommended. The advice, however, is ignored and a battle between the 'beaux and belles' (fashionable young men and women) enshes. The poet concludes the poem with the faneiful suggestion that the lock has been converted into a star which will immortalise Belinda's name.

.tJn%~tanding Poetry 5.5 THE RAPE OF THE LOCK - (CANTO 111)

Close by those meads, for ever crown'd with flowers, 1 Where Thames with pride surveys his rising towers, There stands a structure of majestic frame, Which from the neighb'ring Hampton takes its name. Here Britain's statesmen oft the fall foredoom 5 Of foreign tyrants, and of nymphs at home; Here thou, great Anna! whom three realms obey, Dost sometimes counsel take - and sometimes tea. Hither the heroes and the nymphs resort, To taste a while the pleasures of a court; 10 In various talk th' instructive hours they pass'd, Who gave the ball, or paid the visit last; One speaks the glory of the British Queen, And one describes a charming Indian screen; A third interprets motion, looks, and eyes; 15 At every word a reputation dies. Snuff, or the fan, supply each pause of chat, With singing, laughing, ogling, and all that. Meanwhile, declining from the noon of day, The sun obliquely shoots his burning ray; - 20 The hungry judges soon the sentence sign, And wretches hang that jurymen may dine; The merchant from th' exchange returns in peace. And the long labours of the toilet cease. Belinda now, whom thirst of fame invites, 25 Bums to encounter two adventurous knights, At ombre singly to decide their doom; I

And swells her breast with conquests yet to come. Straight the three bands prepare in arms to join, Each hand the number of the sacred nine. 30

1. meads -meadows, fields (archaic), 2. Thames -the river on which the city of London is located, 5. foredoom - predict, 6,'nymphs - beautiful young women (archaic), 7. Anna - Queen Anne of England who ruled from 1702- 1714; three-realms - Queen Anne ruled over England, Wales and Scotland, 14. Indian Screen - panition made of silk from India, 18. Ogling - look'at in an amorous or loving manner, 23. Exchange - the stock exchange or market, 26. Bums - is eager to, 29. three bands -cards held by the three players.

Soon as she spreads her hand, th' aerial guard Descend, and sir on each important card: First Ariel Perch'd upon a Matadore, Then each according to the rank they bore; For sylphs, yet mindful of their ancient race, Are, as when women, wondrous fond of place. Behold, four Kings in majesty revered,

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With hoary whiskers and a forky beard And four fair Queens, whose hands sustain a flower. Th' expressive emblem of their softer power; Four knaves in garb succinct, a trusty band, '

' Caps on their heads, and halberts in their hand; And parti-colour'd troops, a shining train, '

Drawn forth to combat on the velvet plain. The skilful nymph reviews her force with care: 'Let Spades be trumps! ' she said, and trumps they were. Now move to war her sable Matadores, In'show like leaders of the swarthy Moors. Spadillio first, unconquerable lord!

. Led off two captive trumps, and swept the board. As many more Manillio forced to yield, And march'd a victor from the verdant field. Him Basto follow'd; but his fate more hard Gain'd but one trump, and one plebeian card. With his broad sabre next, a chief in years, The hoary Majesty of Spades appears, Puts forth one manly leg, to sight reveal'd, The rest, his many colour'd robe conceal'd. The rebel Knave, who dares his prince engage, Proves the just victim of his royal rage. Ev'n mighty Pam, that kings and queens o'erthrew. And mow'd down armies in the fights of Lu, Sad chance of war ! now destitute of aid, Falls ulylistinguish'd by the victor Spade! Thus far both armies to Belinda yield;

Tbe Rape of the Lack Alexander f ope

- 31. aerial guard - the sylphs, 33. matadore -three highest cards in ombre, 41. garb succinect- clothes tied at the waist with a belt; an example of inversion, 42. halberts - weapon shaped like an axe. 47. sable matadores - dark coloured cards of spades which is the trump, 49. Spadillio - Ace of Spades, 51. Manillio - Two of Spades, 53. Basto - Ace of Clubs, third highest card in ombre, 54. Plebeian card -ordinary card that has no special value in ombre, 61. Pam - knave of clubs, with no special value in ombre, 62. Lu -'Card game in which knave of Clubs was a high card.

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Understanding Poetry Now to the baron fate inclines the field. His warlike Amazon her host invades, The imperial consort of the crown of Spades. The Club's black tyrant first her victim dyed, Spite of his haughty mien, and barb'rous pride : What boots the regal circle on his head. His giant limbs, in state unwieldy spread; That long behind he trails his pompous robe. And, of all monarchs, only grasps the globe? The baron now his Diamonds pours apace; Th' embroider'd King who shows but half his face, And his refulgent Queen, with powers combined Of broken troops an easy conquest find, Clubs, Diamonds. Hearts, in wild disorder seen. With throngs promiscuous strow the level green. Thus when dispersed a routed army runs, Of Asia's troops, the Afric's sable sons. With like confusion different nations fly. Of various habit, and of various dye, The pierced battalions disunited fall. In heaps on heaps; one fate o'erwhelms them all.

The Knave of Diamonds tries his wily arts, And wins (oh shameful chance!) the Queen of Hearts; At this, the blood the virgin's cheek forsook. A livid paleness spreads o'er all her look; 90 She sees, and trembles at th' approaching ill. Just in the jaws of ruin, and Codille. And now (as oft in some distemper'd state) . . On one nice trick depends the gen'ral fate. An Ace of Hearts steps forth : the King unseen Lurk'd in her hand, and rnourn'd his captive Queen; 95 He springs to vengeance with an eager pace. And'falls like thunder on the prostrate, Ace. The nymph exulting fills with shouts the sky: The walls, the woods, and long canals reply. 100

67. warlike Amazon - a femalewarrior, the Queen of Spades, 69. dyed - old fashioned (archaic) spelllng of died, 70. mien - expression, 71. boots - of what uce is, 71-74. parody of passages from Virgil where he comments on I

the futility of man's power and positlon in the face of defeat and death. regalxircle : crown, refulgent - sh~ning. 79. An echo of lines in Dryden's translation of Virgll's Aenetd He speaks of 'arms. horses, men on heaps together lie, at the end of a battle. Here. ic is the cards that are scattered on the table at the end of the game. 80. 'Ihrongs promiscuous stmw-large number of m~xed cards (clubs, hearts and spades) lie in d~sorderon the table. 81. routed - defeated 82. Asia's troops and Afric's sable sons -as after a battle the field is covered with the bodies 6f sdliders from Asia and Africa so the card table is littered with a large number of cards. An echo fmm Dryden's Aene~d : 'Arms, horses, men and heaps together lie. 94. nice -delicate, 98. prostrate Ace - Ace of hearts lying flat on the table. 99. Beltnda' cries of pleasure when she wins the game.

0 thoughtless mortals! ever blind to fate, The Rape of the Lock

Alexander Pope Too soon dejected, and too soon elate. Sudden, these honours shall be snatch'd aw&, And cursed for ever this victorious day For lo ! the board with cups and spoons is crown'd The berries crackle. and the mill turns round : On shining altars of Japan they raise The silver lamp; the fiery spirits blaze; ,

From silver spouts the grateful liquors guide, While China's earth receives the smoking tide; ~t once they gratify their scent and taste, And frequent cups prolong the rice repast. 8:raight hover round the fair her airy band, Some as she sipp6d, the fuming liquor fann'd, Some over her laps their careful plumes display 'd, Trembling, and conscious of the rich brocade. Coffee (which makes the politician wise, And see through all things with his half-shut eyes) Sent up in vapours to the baron's brain New stratagems, the radiant lock to gain.

-- Ah cease, rash youth ! desist ere 'tis too late, Fear the just gods, and think of Scylla's fate;

/ Changed to a bird and sent to flit in air, She dearly pays for Nisus' injured hair . But when to mischief mortals bend their will, 125

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101-104: an echo of Virgil's comment on man's excessive joy in the present because he is unaware of what awaits him in the future. Belinda is over excited about her v~ctory in cards Ignorant of the reversal of fonune she will soon suffer. 105. board -side boad 106. Crackle and the mill turns round - the roasting and grinding of coffee beans. l10. China's earth -China cups. ITS. plumes - the wrngs of the sylphs. 1 19. vapours - fancies, 120 stratagems - PI-. 121. desist em - stop before. 121-1 24. The Story of Nisus and Scylla ~s.found in OviCs (Roman author of Ihe Ist A.D.) Me-rphoses. Nisus had a purple ha~r on which depended the safety of his kingdom. scy[li, his daughter fell in love with Minos, her father's enemy. Scylla plucked out his hair and betrayed Nisus who was defeated. As punishment for her w h v she was Changed into a bird. In mock-heroic manner, the Baron is not to meddle With Bclinda's hair for which he might be severely punished.

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Understanding Poetry How soon they find fit instruments of ill; Just then, Clarissa drew with tempting grace

'A two-edged weapon from her shining case : So ladies, in romance, assist their knight, Present the spear, and arm him for the fight. He takes the gift with reverence, and extends The little engine on his fingers' ends; This just behind Belinda's neck he spread, As o'er the fragrant steams she bends her head. Swift to the lock a thousand sprites repair, A thousand wings, by turns, blow back the hair; And thrice they twitch'd the diamond in her ear; T h k e she Iwk'd back, and thrice the foe drew near. ~ Just in that instant, anxious Ariel sought The close recesses of the virgin's thought: As on the nosegay in her breast reclin'd, He watch'd th' ideas rising in her mind, Sudden he view'd, in spite of all her art, An earthly lover lurking at her heart. Amazed, confused, he found his power expired, Resign'd to fate, and with a sigh retired. The peer now spreads the glitt'ring forfex wide, T' inclose the lock; now joins it, to divide. Ev'n then, before the fatal engine closed, A wretched sylph too fondly interposed; Fate urged the shears, and cut the sylph in twain, (But airy substance soon unites again) The meeting points the sacred hair dissever From the fair head, for ever, and for ever! Then flash'd the living lightning from her eyes, And screams of horror rend th' affrighted skies. Not louder shrieks to pitying Heaven are cast, When husbands or when lap-dogs breathe their last; Or when rich China vessels, fall'n from high, ~ In glitt'ring dust and painted fragments lie;

134: fragrant steams - vapours of coffee. 140. close recesses - the innermost d pths of her mind. 141. nosegay - bunch of flowers worn by Belinda on her dress. 150. interposed - came in betw en, 151. echo from Milton's t Paradise Lost where Satan is cut in two by the Angel Michael. 150. rena - te ..

5.6 OUTLINE OF CANTO 3 OF RAPE OF THE LOCK

The central action in Canto 3 (which is also the climax of the story of the entire poem) is the cutting of the lock of Belinda's hair. This occurs towards the end of the cantoin lines 146-154. Other events in Canto 3 prepare for or lead up to this climactic action.

'Ne will give you a brief outline of Canto 3 of the poem. This will make it easier for you to understand the sequence of events, which are given a mock-heroic treatment.

Lines

1-8 In these opening lines the location of the action is described. Hampton Court, the re5idence of the Queen is situated in London on the River Thames. It is an impressive building surrounded by meadows full of flowers. It was in the 18th

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century a popular meeting place for royalty, politicians and men of fashion.

9- 18 A description of the popular pastimes at Hampton Court.

18-24 These lines set the time frame for the action. It is a late afternoon.

25-104 The game of cards, called Ombre is described in the way a battle would be described in an epic. Belinda challenges two opponents one of whom is the Baron. At first Belinda wins steadily. Her opponents, however, retaliate and she begins to lose. At the end she makes the winning trick and is triumphant. This section ends with Belinda exulting in her victory ignorant of the impending disaster that awaits her. It is suggested throughout the game of cards that Belinda is eager to show her superiority and win the game. She attaches far too much importance to her victory. You must have heard of the proverb, 'pride goes before a fall'. This a~plies to Belinda for her triumph at cards is closely followed by her disgrace shortly afterwards. In the 'battle' (of cards) between Belinda and the Baron she wins the first round only to feel discomfitted at the end when the Baron cuts off (snips) a lock of her hair.

105- 124 The preparation and serving of coffee is described. The great delicacy and beauty of the ceremony are highlighted; the tables are of lacquer, the stove is of silver, ,

the cups of fine china. It is at this time that the Baron makes his final plan to cut off Belinda's lock as she bends her head over her coffee cup.

t 125-1 30 Clarissa is a female acquaintance of the Baron. Pope imagines her as providing him with the scissors with which the deed will be dune in the way women . equipped men with arms before they set off for war in epic romances.

1 131-145 The Baron approaches Belinda who is sipping her coffee. The sylphs surround Belinda's hair in an effort to prevent the loss. They try to warn her of the danger and though she looks up she does not notice the Baron. Ariel, the chief among the sylphs can look into Belinda's innermost thoughts. He realises that she is favourably inclined towards a male lover. He do longer has the power to protect her and withdraws from the scene.

147,-154 The actual deed is done and a lock of Belinda's hair is cut off by the exultant Baron.

I 155- 160 Belinda's reaction is described as bne of mixed anger and sorrow. Loud cries of rage and despair are heard as Belinda mourns the loss of her hair.

I Before you read the detailed analysis of the poem in the next section, try to understand the significance of the title The Rape of the Lock. The word 'rape', associated with the destruction of the chastity or honour of women is too strong a word to be used to describe '

this trivial action of the Baron. The title conveys the poet's intention of exaggerating a trivial action to assume epic significance.

5.7 INTERPRETATION

1-8 Pope begins Canto 3 with a description of Hampton Court which is the scene of the climactic action in the poem. This description of a grand building is a minor

The Rape of the Lack - Alexander Pope

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Understanding Poetry epic feature. For eg. in Milton's 'Paradise Lost there is a description of pandemonium, the magnificent Hall which is the meeting place for Satan and his followers.

There is a deliberate mingling of serious and trivial matters to suggest this fashionable society's lack of perspcictive (or jumbled values). Politicians discuss with equal seriousness the fall from power of a despotic foreign ruler and the loss of female chastity and honour.

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Note the anti-climax (or bathos) Bathos : sudden moving from something sublime to something ridiculous.

A hint at the frivolous pastimes of fashionable society. Parties, social visits, assessing the value of beautiful decoration pieces are the pre-occupations of its members. These lines show us how important a part of social life is gossip and how casually reputations may be lost.

Consider the following lines:. A third interprets motion, looks, and eyes; At every word a reputation dies. Snuff, or the fan, supply each pause of chat With singing, laughing, ogling, and all that.

This is a satlre on the pastimes of high society with a special emphasis on its love for scandalous talk. It expresses the poet's concern for women in such a society where irresponsible comments against them may bring them into disrepute. Note the cleverness with which Pope reproduces the exact rhythm and tone of casual but superficial conversation.

The excessive use of snuff and female affectations in the use of fans were often satirised in contemporary writings.

Do you ;ecognise in these lines the parody of an epic feature?

One of the significant features of an epic is the description of battles. This includes a review of the forces before the battle, comments on individual heroes and detailed accounts of combats between individual wa~nors.

This passage contains several examples of the deliberate use of set phrases (or poetic diction). 1.25 uses the expression 'thirst for Fame' to describe Belinda's eagerness to show her skill at cards and win praise. Line-52 uses 'verdant green' for the green coloured card table. Sententious generalisations (Lines 63-64,70- . 74,93-94) about the uncertainties of war and fate have the same effect.

What do you rhink is the effect of using elevated language and a dignified tone? These are effectively used to heighten the mock-epic irony hinting at the disproportionate seriousness with which success or failure at cards is treated by Belinda. Belinda's successive eagerness to triumph in the game of cards, her fear at possible loss and exultation at ultimate victory are highlighted. They suggest a complete lack of perspective and the inability'to distinguish the significant from the trivial. This is perceived by Pope as the main flaw in Belinda's society and in her character. The effect of bathos is created by the contrast between the insignificance of the situation and the dignity of the language. It is this disparity .

that is used in mock-epic to return the subject to its proper perspective. Lines 25-28 apd 79-86 illustrate this kind of incongruity.

Ombre: popular card game for three players. The terms used in the game as well as the name are of Spanish origin.

Pope pretends that there is some magical significance attached to the nine cards dealt to each player. The numbers 3 afid 9 were often used in epic description for their magical association. - The sylphs fulfil their duty of protecting Belinda.

The Rape of the 'Lock - Alexander Pope

The gods in epic poetry sit according to their ranks. This is parodied by the sylphs. There is also an ironic reference to women who are over-conscious of their position in society.

The epic hero reviews his forces before a battle. Bdinda likew~se surveys her cards before play begins. There is an accurate description of actual pictures on the playing cards. This is a good example of Pope's powers of observation and careful attention to detail. (A similar accuracy is seen in Lines 74 & 76.)

A parody of the opening lines of the Old Testament. 'And God said, "Let there be light" and there was light'. Try to explain what the effect of this echo is? Pope suggests that Belinda takes herself too seriously and that announcing the trumps in a game of cards is for her a significant event.

'Imperial consort: the Queen of spades. An example of mock-heroic style with a deliberate elevation of language to describe a playing card.

Codille: defeat of the challenger in ombre, in this case, of Belinda. A parody of Dryden's Aeneid in which the line, 'Just in the fate and in the jaws of hell' occurs. By echoing this line defeat at cards is made as serious a situation as being near the mouth of hell.

Trick: a pun on the word. A clever move in a political crisis and the winning of a round in cards.

Description of the elaborate ritual of serving coffee. An equivalent of descriptions of hearty feasts that occur in Homer's epics.

Shining altars of Japan: Lacquered table from Japan. Coffee tables described in a grandiose manner. Note how each activity is converted into a ritual as though the coffee tables were altars for worship.

The sylphs areseen performing their duties, cooling Belinda's coffee and acting as table napkins to protect her rich dress.

The coffee houses of the day were the haunt of amateur politicians. An ironic portrait of how such politicians liked to give the appearance of sharing in important state secrets.

Much of the humour and irony in mock-epic lies in finding similarities between entirely different situations. The ancient story is tragic whereas the present one is entirely frivolous. The link between the two is that they both revolve around hair and the poet plays up this similarity to create humour and irony. The irony isat the expense of the present which is seen as being trivial compared to the 'heroic' past.

An epic generalisation which echoes Dryden's satirical poem Absalom and Achitophel. Be comments there that when man inclines towards evil the devil is always ready to create favourable conditions. Here, once the Baron has detided to do the evil deed of cutting the hair an accomplice is ready to help with the scisgors.

1

Two edged weapon: an echo from the Bible; here a reference to scissors. In order to avoid using the common word scissors, Pope imitates the epic device of periphrasis (the use of dignified epithets to describe simple things). Later Pope uses 'little engine' (Line 132), Forfex (Line 147, Latin for Scissors) and ' ~ i t a l engine' (Line 149).

Thousand: certain numbers such as this (refer to the use of the numbers'3 and 9 in Lines 29,30, 36-38) are used frequently in epic poetry to lend dignity to the actions described.

Ariel withdraws his protection for Belinda. Pope has explained in his dedicatory letter to this poem that the sylphs would guard any woman on condition that she does not have an earthly lover and remains chaste. In the epic. guardian deities too withdraw their assistance rr crucial moments as for example Apollo leaves the hero in Homer's Iliad.

The repetition emphasises that the hair, unlike the sylphs cannot be rejoined.

Understanding Poetry 157-160 An echo of many s ~ n i ~ l a r pa\sages in epic poetry. Note the effective use of anti- climax to make a moral comment. The lo\\ of a favourite pet dog or of a

I' husband or of a delicate ornamental vase are treated as matters of equal importance. Besides the ironlc humour of the passage this is part of Pope's serious comment on the fashionable society with its confused values. The lack of discrimination between serious and trivial is stressed again.

159-160 China Yessel : This image has been used by Pope in Canto 2 of the poem (Lines 105-106). It has been associated there with Diana's Law or woman's honour and the same suggestion underlies the reference here. Though Belinda has only lost a lock of her hair, the implication is that in a society where appearances are almost as important as reality, where reputation is equated with actual virtue, public embarrassment is almost as serious as the actual loss of chastity. Pope seems to feel that though Belinda over-reacts to the loss of her hair there is some justification for her dismay.

5.8 POETIC DEVICES AND STYLE

The metre ,of the The Rape of the Lock is the heroic couplet (refer to Unit 1 (1.2.4). It consists of two consecutive lines of iambic pentameter verse whose end-words rhyme. (The term may come from the extensive use of this form in 'heroic' plays of the 17th and 18th centuries.) The form suMivides into the 'closed couplet' whose meaning is complete within the two lines without reference to what precedes or follows and the 'open' or 'run-on couplet' which is not self-contained and the meaning is carried over to the next line. (Line 37-40 are examples of the 'closed' and Lines 1-4 of the 'open' couplet.) Try to select examples of both types of couplets from the extract you have just studied.

The closed couplet achieved great popularity after its use by Dryden and became the dominant form of English verse under the influence of Pope. It is particularly suited to the expression of thought with balance, repetition and antithesis often creating a witty, epigrammatic or humorous effect. This made it thezecognised metre for satire. Pope achieves a tremendous range and variety of tone within the compass of the couplet form. Compare the vaiious effects achieved in the following lines:

Snuff, or the fan, supply each pause of chat. With singing, laughing, ogling, and all that (Lines 17- 18)

This couplet catches the casual tone of gossip in fashionable society.

But when to mischief mortals bend their will, How soon they find fit instruments of ill. (Lines 125-126)

This couplet is used here for serious comment. ,

Swift to the Lock a thousand spirites repair, A thousand wings, by turns, blow back the Hair, And thrice they twitch'd the Diamond in her Ear, . Thrice she look'd back, and thrice the Foe drew near.

(Lines 135- L38) - The use of repetition creates the effect of suspense and excitement. Note also the use of inversion or a change in the normal word order to give variety, as in

Here, Britain's Statesmen oft the Fall foredom ( 1 5)

Hither the Heroes and the Nymphs resort (1 9)

or

In various talk th' instructive hours they past (1 1)

Now select for yourself some couplets to illustrate the variety of effects that Pope creates'in this f m . (Look in particular for effects of humour, irony, anticlimax.)

5.9 EXERCISES -

To help you to organise your thoughts and check your understanding of the poem attempt tHe questions given below:

1) The function of the Sylphs is to protect Belinda. Enumerate the ways in which they do this in Canto 3.

2) Pope suggests that the values of this society are confused.

B Select the passages where Pope refers to this and try to show how serious and trivial matters are treated alike. .

3) List out the favourite activities of the 'beau-monde' that are mentioned in Canto 3. 4) From Canto 3 what impression do you form of Belinda and of the Baron?

5.10 SUMMING UP

' . In this Unit you have :

1) learnt about the features of an epic 2) learnt about the mock-epic form 3) learnt to analyse in detail an extract from an 18th century mock-epic poem and '

, 4) learnt about the various effects produced by heroic couplet

The Rape of the I Alexander

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Pope