Paper : 102 Assignment :
Thematic study of 'The Rape of the Lock'
Name - Hina Parmar
Batch - M.A. Sem 1 (2022-2024)
Enrollment no - 40692064202221
Roll no - 11
Subject code - 22393
Paper no - 102
Paper - Literature of the Neoclassical period
Email address - hinaparmar612@gmail.com
Submitted to - Smt.S.B. Gardi Department of English M.K.B.U.
Date of submission - 7 th November, 2022
This blog is Assignment of paper no 102 Literature of the Neo classical period. This task is assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir H.O.D. of English Department M.K.B.U. in this blog i am going to discuss about thematic study of the poem ' The Rape of the Lock '.
Introduction -
The poem 'The Rape of the Lock' published in 1712 and it was it was in 1714. This poem is a mock epic or mock heroic poem. This poem satirized the upper class in London at that time. The poem uses a heavy amount of satire, which is the use of , exaggeration, irony, humor, etc. Alexander pope 'The Rape of the Lock' in particular way satirise in both way the obsession with physical appearance and trivial matters by the people of 18th century England. The title of the poem suggests what exactly happens in the poem. This story is based on an incident about Lord Petre who had cut off a lock of Miss Annabella Fermor's hair and refused to return it and this incident affected two families. Pope told his friend spence,
" Desirable to write a poem to make a jest of it, and laugh them together again".
Pop wrote a poem at the request of his friend Joan Kargil Cargil. Pope produced a poem of two cantos in iambic pentameter couplets within a fortnight. Addison advised that the poem was "a delicious little thing''. Pope felt this thing in 1714 he expanded it to five cantos with many additional scenes and elaborate mock epic machinery of supernaturals.
Alexander Pope
Alexander pope is a great satirist of the 18th century along with John Dryden.He is a great Satirist and also he got the excellent skill of using the heroic complete in his poems. He is known as one of the most correct and accurate poets of the English language in the world. He was a great follower of the great ancient masters of Greek and Rome, he also translated several works of ancient Masters into English language.
Alexander pope was born on 21 may 1688, His father was a London based merchant of Catholic faith. Alexander Pope has been the most representative poet of the 18th century. He is as representative of his age as Chaucer was of the late fourteenth century and Tennyson of the Victorian age that's why his age is known as the age of pope.
His most famous poem is 'The Rape of the Lock' it is as mirror of English society in 18th century. Leslie Stephen said -
"reflects so clearly and completely the spirit of his own day as Popedoes ".
In his poem 'The Rape of the Lock' he reflects the life of fashionable aristocratic Society of his time this. This poem reflects the pleasure seeking life of fashionable beauty. It was the age that women had discorded all those normal values that give solidarity to society.
Thematical study of 'The Rape of the Lock'
The poem 'The Rape of the Lock' is a mock epic or mock heroic epic poem. This poem start with this words-
"WHAT dire offence amorous causes springs,
What mighty contests rise from trivial things,
I sing-This verse to Caryll, Muse! Is due:
This, even Belinda may vouchsafe to view:
Slight is the subject, but not so the praise,
If she inspire, and he approve my lays."
This is the opening line of the poem, and it refers to its themes like love, and that love affairs have many serious resentments like hatred, Bitterness,anger, dislike etc. Some of the major themes in 'The Rape of the Lock' are beauty, religion and morality, Pride, love, immorality and carefree of upper class, female desire and passion, gender role, and many more.
Here i am going to discuss particularly all these themes-
Beauty
Religion and morality
Immorality and carefree nature of upper class
Female Desire and passion
Theme of love
Theme of pride
Gender roles
Female sexuality
Man's place and purpose in the universe
validity
Beauty-
In 'The Rape of the Lock' Alexander pope highlighting societies to centralizes on beauty and appearance. This poem centers on the character Belinda, a beautiful woman who lost her lock of hair to a nobleman who is known as Baron. When this poem starts and goes on it becomes sillier and sillier and characters fight over the lock. In this poem Clarissa's speech is the most important thing in the poem. Pope added Clarolissas speech into the poem, she argues that women spend much time on their looks rather than thinking to become a better person and serve society.
The main important character of this poem is Belinda, she looks beautiful and two locks in which she has styled her hair look attractive, and she dressed herself with many beauty products, these are lines to appreciate her beauty -
“Now awful beauty puts on all its arms;
The fair each moment rises in her charms,
Sees by degrees a purer blush arise,
And keener lightning quicken in her eyes.”
Byron eyes them in admiration; he has resolved to take one for himself either by force or by theft. When Byron cuts off her look she shouts at him to return the 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. It is true that men are caught in the trap of women’s fair curls. A beautiful woman can attract a man with a single hair. According to this thing Pope writes-
“And beauty draws us with a single hair.”
Outer beauty is a temporary thing, when a woman gets old her outer beauty fades but her inner beauty stays with her until her death. Pope's opinion that self obsession is useless and nonsense. In this poem the Pope's conclusion suggested that true beauty has some value, but if it becomes the subject of poetry, it becomes an immoral thing.
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In our modern time there are many beauty contests organized and many women participate in it. That most of the contest is based on women's quality of thoughts and their inner beauty. The winner is judged by her quality of thoughts, participants never judge by just their outer look like who has the most beautiful white face ? Who has beautiful lips ? Who has idealized a beautiful figer ? Never contestants judged by these things.
Religion and Morality-
In 'The Rape of the Lock' religion and morality is important themes. Pop's poem is full of moral questions about religious culture of that time in the 18th century. When this poem was written England's last Catholic Monarch had been deposed and England once again became a Protestant nation. Most criticize catholics, because they believed that catholics had trade from the worship of God. The Pope belongs to Catholic family and protestant made their life difficult to own a land or live in London. The Pope faces many to live there.
Immorality and carefree nature of upper class.
In this poem pop portrays the upper class society and people of the upper class are busy in pursuit of their own goals through trivial and vain. He put the matter that careless and casual response of high society is dangerous, he portrays the upper class people just think about themselves and they have obsessions of beauty. They just care about their personal life, luxurious, pomp and vanity and they have interest in flirting gossip and card games. They live a life that is matchless to the ordinary and common people. In this poem Pope makes a fun of their stupid deeds and self obsessed attentions, he has discussed that this society just leads to immorality and destraction between humans. The Pope thought that wealth is not a permanent thing. At the end when men died they went empty handed, they can't take their wealth with them.
Female desire and passion-
In this poem the pope has made fun of women, because in this poem women just think about their outer beauty. He presents Belinda like an epic heroine. According to him this heroic epic poem is Belinda's maid hood and according to him women are more self conscious than men. The most important part of this poem is Clarissa's speech. Her speech is a fine example and it feels with the situation with a smile rather than doing anything to change it. In this poem women are portrayed as being more controlled by society. It is obvious that if men and women are attractive, well dressed put together. They get attracted to each other , and have dreams about one another, and maybe fall in love with each other. But those who are not attractive also have a good heart, they also could have true love.
In this poem there was no way for anyone to express their feelings and any other thing.
Themes of Love -
In this poem there was not any kind of importance for love. According to Alexander Pope the upper class people only believe in victory and defeat, there is no value for love. This poem portrays Belinda's character as a strong modern woman character. She loves her out of beauty more than anything. There was a character Baron who wanted to have an affair with her but he didn't have pure feelings toward her. The society of that time denied real feelings from each other. It just appreciates the outer beauty of humans.
Themes of Pride-
In women's life pride is natural to her. a woman never sleeps with anybody until she does not agree or until her modesty is not gone. Pride is the most important thing in a woman's life, she could not late it go for anybody, if she truly loved anybody she may be late it go. In this poem Belinda handles her pride very well.
Beauty could be without pride, and in this poem Belinda handles it best. Baron loves Bilinda and he wants to get her by force; he doesn't have intention to marry her. He just tried to win her, but he failed because Bilindas Pride, self respect and beauty were important things for her.
Gender roles-
In 'The Rape of the Lock' pop portrays Belinda as protagonist, as an Epic Hero she preparing for battle. Belinda describes specifically with some male terms like heroism against other female characters like Thalestris displays proverbs on the battle and on other hand Clarissa gives weapons to Byron, to cut Belinda's hair.
Clarissas character is important in this poem, when Byron cuts off Belinda's hair, she frightens and she thinks that she lost her virginity, but this is not right. To teach Belinda what real beauty is she delivered a lecture on morality.
Female sexuality-
According to 18th century society women attract a suitable husband to preserve her chastity and virtuous reputation. In that time women compromise her virtue either by deed or by her reputation. She lost place in society when Byron cut off Belinda's hair she as health she exiles herself from the party because she is in shock for her loss.
Manes place and purpose in the Universe-
In "An Essay on man" pope describe his intention to consider
"Man in the abstract, his nature and his state, since, to prove any moral duty, to any moral duty, to enforce any moral precept, or to examine the perfection of Imperfection of any creature whatsoever, it is necessary first to know what condition and relation it is placed in, and what is the proper and purpose of its being"
In this poem the pope explores the nature of man and his place in the world in the poem. Pope explains that man's place in the "Vast chain of being " is in a middle state, below the angels but above the beast and fowl. The Pope does not provide a universal solution to the proper end and purpose of man, he does reveal one of the g characteristics of humanity. Men have to understand their purpose in the world is.
Vanity-
One of the main themes in this poem is "Vanity". Belinda is a glamorous lady, she is very beautiful. In this poem she is the example of vanity. She moves in a world that is completely lifeless, where personal appearance is everything for her. Every time she wakes up and puts most of her time on her beauty. When Byron cut off her hair she reacted very angry. Byron wants to steal some of Belinda's hair so he can boast of its possession. This whole poem reflects the vanity of the upper class society of the eighteenth century. They just value outer looks and such silly things which are not more important things.
Conclusion -
To sum up all things we could say that this poem reflects major things of eighteenth century society. Most upper class people have an obsession with beauty, vanity. They just wasted their time in such silly things they don't think as Clarissa thinks. Clarissa's speech is most important in this poem. She draws Belinda's attention that outer beauty is not everything, it is not as important as she thinks, when Clarissa tells all things Belinda prepares herself to bake her lock and she fights against Baron.
In this poem there is nothing deep or serious about the lives and activities of the fashionable people of that time. The most important thing for them is vanity and pride. To use this vanity and emptiness Pope has revealed this poem as brilliant art.
Citation-
Hyman, Stanley Edgar. “The Rape of the Lock.” The Hudson Review, vol. 13, no. 3, 1960, pp. 406–12. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3847965. Accessed 4 Nov. 2022.
Javaria, Sayeda. “Major Themes in the Rape of the Lock.” Literary English, 31 Oct. 2022, https://literaryenglish.com/major-themes-in-the-rape-of-the-lock/.
Kolanchery, Dr. George. DEPICTION OF CONTEMPORARY LIFE IN THE RAPE OF THE LOCK, Oct. 2016.
Pope, Alexander. The Rape of the Lock. United Kingdom, Wildside Press, 2006.
Rabedeau, Jennifer. Weinbloom, Elizabeth ed. "Pope’s Poems and Prose Themes". GradeSaver, 29 December 2010 Web. 4 November 2022.https://www.gradesaver.com/popes-poems-and-prose/study-guide/themes
Torralbo Caballero, Juan de. “Alexander Pope: Literary Translator and Editor, from Binfield to Twickenham.” Revista Alicantina De Estudios Ingleses, no. 26, 2013, p. 271., https://doi.org/10.14198/raei.2013.26.19.
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