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    Rape of the Lock
    Rape of the Lock
    Rape of the Lock
    Ebook40 pages26 minutes

    Rape of the Lock

    By Alexander Pope and Mint Editions

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    About this ebook

    The Rape of the Lock (1906) is a classic, epic poem by English literary icon Alexander Pope. Known for his caustic wit and satirical outlook as much as he was for his formal expertise, Pope is arguably the most important English poet of the eighteenth century. His work influenced such figures as William Wordsworth, Samuel Johnson, and Jonathan Swift.

    Drawing on his immense knowledge of ancient Greek and Latin literature, Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock is a mock epic which captures the essence of classical divinity and poetry while illuminating the absurdity and stupidity of English aristocratic life. The poem centers on a Baron’s obsession with the hair of the beautiful socialite Belinda. Although her hair is protected by divine Sylphs, the Baron eventually succeeds, using a pair of scissors to snip off a lock of Belinda’s hair. This throws the world of the poem into chaos—Belinda is outraged, and the divine creatures which move invisibly between worlds try their best to restore order to the universe. The poem culminates with a battle between Belinda and the Baron, mimicking the heroism and warfare of the best of Homer while casting a critical eye on the values of England’s elite.

    With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMint Editions
    Release dateDec 1, 2020
    ISBN9781513272665
    Author

    Alexander Pope

    Alexander Pope (1688-1744) was an English poet. Born in London to a family of Catholics who were later expelled from the city during a period of religious persecution, Pope was largely self-educated, and struggled with numerous illnesses from a young age. At 23, he wrote the discursive poem An Essay on Criticism (1711), a manifesto on the art of poetry which gained him the admiration and acclaim of influential critics and writers of his day. His most famous poem, The Rape of the Lock (1712), is a mock epic which critiques aristocratic English society while showcasing Pope’s mastery of poetic form, particularly the use of the heroic couplet. Pope produced highly acclaimed translations of the Iliad and Odyssey, which transformed Homer’s ancient Greek dactylic hexameter into a contemporary rhyming English verse. His work The Dunciad (1728-1743), originally published anonymously in Dublin, is a satirical poem which lampoons English literary society and criticizes the moral and intellectual decay of British life. Second only to Shakespeare for the frequency with which he is quoted, Alexander Pope succumbed to his illnesses at the age of 56 while at the height of his fame and productivity.

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    Reviews for Rape of the Lock

    4/5

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    • 5/5
      My version of the poem had a great introduction which explained what inspired the poem, which was a huge bonus for me! Alexander Pope's poem however was easy enough for me to understand, which I greatly appreciate. I particularly loved the description of the women being dressed at the end of the first canto. There was something so profound in the statement that the women take praise for looking good when it isn't them that look good - it was those that dressed them. Granted, I suspect that most women don't have someone dressing them these days; however, today women are so covered in makeup, and with the prevalence of plastic surgery and botox, I'm not sure that we really are making ourselves look good anymore, it's something else.Regardless, the poem was actually quite wonderful. Funny, quirky, and clever - overall I loved it! It amused me how he instilled this sense of impending doom and horror into a comedic poem about a woman's hair being cut off as a prank at a party. Knowing the back-story was tremendously helpful in this regard, it I had not known that it was written in response to a prank played at a party, I would have greatly misunderstood the poem.
    • 3/5
      an interesting and complex read
    • 5/5
      Unique in its masterful and epic treatment of a kinky, bizarre haircut.

    Book preview

    Rape of the Lock - Alexander Pope

    Canto I

    What dire offence from am’rous causes springs,

    What mighty contests rise from trivial things,

    I sing—This verse to CARYL, Muse! is due:

    This, ev’n Belinda may vouchsafe to view:

    If She inspire, and He approve my lays.

    Say what strange motive, Goddess! could compel

    A well-bred Lord t’ assault a gentle Belle?

    O say what stranger cause, yet unexplor’d,

    In tasks so bold, can little men engage,

    And in soft bosoms dwells such mighty Rage?

    Sol thro’ white curtains shot a tim’rous ray,

    And oped those eyes that must eclipse the day:

    And sleepless lovers, just at twelve, awake:

    Thrice rung the bell, the slipper knock’d the ground,

    And the press’d watch return’d a silver

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