The Rape Of The Lock - Alexander Pope

Thinking Activity

The Rape Of The Lock - Alexander Pope.

This blog is a thinking activity task given by vaidehi ma'am. In this blog I am going through some of the important questions mentioned in the task, and try to justify the questions.

Here is ink of the task- Click here

Introduction- 

"The rape of the lock" was first published anonymously in 1712 before it was rewarded and republished in 1714 by alexander pope.

This poem is a mock epic or mock heroic poem, which means it draws from and parodies traditional roman or greek epics. This poem satirized the upper class in London at a time. The poem uses a heavy amount of satire, which is the use of ridicule, exaggeration, irony, humor, etc. Alexander pope the rape of the lock, in particular, satirizes both the obssesion with physical appearance and trivial matters by the people of 18 th century England.

The title of the poem points out what exactly happens in the poem. Belinda who is the main character of the poem has one of her locks of hair stolen by the baron.

The word "rape" draws its defination frome the latin root of the word " Rapio" which actually means "to snatch" or " to seize". 

In 18th century, however,  "Rape" could still means sexual assault, which pope was awar of and used to exaggerate the people involved.

The final form of the poem appeared in 1717 with the addition of Clarissa's  speech on good humor.

Q-1 According to you, who is the protagonist of the poem Clarissa or Bilinda ? Why? give your answer with logical reason?

Pope  wrote  " The Rape Of  The  Lock" in response to a request madeby his friend John caryll, a prominant Roman catholic  of the time. Caryll explained that his friend lord petre, had cut off a lock of Arabella fermor's hair.

In order to make light of the situation pope wrote the " Rape of the lock". The stealing of Miss Belle Fermor's hair was taken too seriously, and caused an estrangement between the two families, though they had lived so long in great friendship before.

First of all we should go through who is Belinda and who is Clarissa.

Belinda:

She is the protagonist of the poem, Belinda is a wealthy and beautiful young woman who travels to Hampton court for a day of socializing and leisure. Her remarkable beauty attracts the attention of the baron. Who snips off  locks of hair in his infatuation.

The poem states that-

Beauties in vain their pretty eyes may roll, Charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul.

"If to her share some female errors fall, look on her face, and you'll forget'em all "

In other words, she is so beautiful That those around her consider her basically exempt from any moral judgment. Belinda is Based on the real life figure of arabella fermor, who also had a lock of her hair cut off by a suitor.

Clarissa:

She lends the Baron her scissors to chop off belinda's lock of hair, she later finds the whole incident frustratingly trivial and she delivers a speech about how physical beauty is not as important as morally things. She says that virtue is most attractive to the soul, her speech obviously makes good sense.

Clarissas name , meaning "clarity", hints that the reader might do well to take her wise advice.

According to me clarissa should be protagonist of this poem because she knows that woman's outer beauty is not everything, and she says that woman should instead invest their time and energy in being the best moral being they can be. Outer beauty is not permanent thing, it gets old, but inner beauty is most important thing.

This story begins with belinda belinda arise to prepare for the day's social activities after sleeping late. 

Belinda's guardian who is sylph, apriel, warns her in a dream that some disaster will befall her, and promises to protect her. Belinda then completes the elaborate process of beautifying herself.

Belinda looks beautiful and two locks in which she has styled her hair look especially attractive, and the baron eyes them in admiration. He has resolved to take one for himself either by force or by theft. Before sunrise that morning, he had prayed for success to the god of love.

After that belinda sits down with two men to play a game of ombre, belinda plays well, and coffee is then served, which the smell of revives the baron and reminds him of his plan to steal the lock, clarissa draws out a pair of scissors, and the baron seizes them and prepares to snip off the lock. The baron crows with delight and belinda screams in horror at what has happened.

Belinda feels sad, and considers the wrong done to her. Then at last Clarissa quiets the group and makes her own speech, she argues that this whole debate is silly, women place too much value on transient female beauty, and that women should instead invest their time and energy in being the best moral being they can be. 

At the end Belinda shouts at the baron to return the stolen lock. But the lock is gone. Unlike every other lock, however, this one will never grow gray, but will burn brightly in the sky as belinda's spectacular beauty.

Q-2 What is beauty ? Write your view about it.

According to me beauty is not all about outer looks, and always looking beautiful. Women should spend much time on their looks rather than thinking to become  Better person And serve society. Outer look self obsession is useless and ridiculous nonsense.

In this poem belinda has obsession with her beauty, and she always spent time to beautify herself. But this is not the right thing. Women should not obsess with her beauty blindly. They should try to be moral and develop a good personality, being a good human being. Beauty is not everything in woman's life. Because everyone grows old, outer beauty is a temporary thing and when a woman gets old her beauty will fade and all beautiful hair ultimately turns gray, no matter how nicely they are styled. So losing beauty loday isn't much different from losing it later on.

In this modern time many beauty contest are based on contestents inner beauty their moral sence, they don't jude contestent by their skin colors and their race, cast and class. They dudge contestant by how they answering the questions asked to him, how they use their moral sense.

 This is a picture of miss universe2011 laila lops.

Q-3 Research paper-

The Rape of the Lock and other poems by alexander pope.

Alexander pope, thomas markc parrott, of english.

Introduction-

In this text Thomas Marc Parrott says that perhaps no other great poet in English literature has been so differently judged at different times as Alexander pope. Accepted almost on his first appearance as one of the leading poets of the day, he rapidly became recognised as the foremost man of letters of his life, and for over half a century after his death his works were considered not only as masterpieces, but as the finest models of poetry.

With the change of poetic temper that occurred at the beginning af the nineteenth century popes fame was over shaowed.

Pope as a man and as a poet is sadly in need of a defender today. Popes religious and his chronicill health are two facts of the highest importance to be taken into consideration in any study of his life or judgment of his character.

In a well konwn passage of the epistle to arbuthnot pope has spoken of his life as one long disrase.

Q-4 write your views about the significance of hair, is it symbolic?

 Belindas lock of hair symbolize the absurdity of the importance to female beauty in society. Belinda has two locks and it actracted man who looks at them. The lock are " labyrinthus". Under the influence of umbriel, thalestris laments the loss of the lock as the symbolic loss of belindas reputation in society, exclaiming, 

"methinks already i Your tears survey, already hear the horrid things they say."

In popes day, the respectability of a women in Society depended upon her having a spotless reputation and being perfectly virtuous, sexually pure. When baron having taken it, and the people will think she in some way allowed him to violate her body. Pope satirise this idea that beauty and virtue are so closely related at the end the lock is too precious to remain on earth. It gonne in sky.

Here i embeded a youtube video of this poem- 

Conclusion-

This poem reflacts artificial and hollow life of people, and how they wast thaeir time in such gatherings and card games and Belinda spent her most time in beautifing herself. pope satirize this character in this poem.

Lowellrightly says that -

“Pope stands by himself in English verse as anintellectual observer and describer of personal weaknesses”

Thank you.