Societal Felony

Each time I read The Rape of the Lock it amazes me how smoothly this poem reads. Pope is a master of iambic pentameter but does not lock himself into the convention. The rhyme and rhythm of the poem is something to be admired.

The verse form of The Rape of the Lock is the heroic couplet - rhymed pairs of iambic pentameter lines (lines of ten syllables each, alternating stressed and unstressed syllables). Pope does not strictly adhere to these conventions and varies the rhythm of the poem instead. By using couplets, it is easy to balance two ideas in a sentence and to compare and contrast these ideas.

The Rape of the Lock is a humorous comment on the vanities and idleness of 18th-century high society. Pope wrote this poem hoping his friends would see the humor in their situation and laugh it off. The society in this poem is one that fails to distinguish between things that matter and things that do not. The poem mocks the people it portrays by showing them as unworthy of a form that suited a more heroic culture.

Here is a summary of the poem:
Belinda awakes to prepare herself for her day after having a dream where Ariel, her guardian Sylph warned her that some disaster will befall her, and promises to protect her to the best of his abilities. Belinda does not heed the warning.

After an elaborate ritual of dressing and primping, she travels on the Thames River to Hampton Court Palace where a group of wealthy young socialites are gathering for a party. At this party is the Baron who has decided to steal a lock of Belinda’s hair. The Baron performs a prayer ritual to ensure the success of his deed. The party enjoys a tense game of cards, which Pope describes in mock-heroic terms as a battle. This is followed by a round of coffee. Then the Baron takes a pair of scissors and manages, on the third try, to cut off the coveted lock of Belinda's hair. Belinda is furious.

Umbriel, a mischievous gnome, journeys down to the Cave of Spleen to get a sack of sighs and a flask of tears which he then gives to Belinda to make her even angrier. Clarissa, who had aided the Baron in his crime, now urges Belinda to give up her anger in favor of good humor and good sense, qualities which will outlast her vanities. Belinda, of course, does not listen to Clarissa’s advice and starts a fight between the socialites in an effort to recover her curl. The lock is lost in the confusion of this mock battle, however; the poet consoles Belinda with the suggestion that it has been taken up into the heavens and immortalized as a constellation.

The Rape of the Lock is much studied and a lot of ink has been spilled by critics on this piece. While looking into the background on the poem I found a site with the story behind the poem, standard features of an epic and where Pope uses a similar mock-epic element in his poem, and a key to the poem - we all know every lock needs a key.

I enjoy reading this poem and look forward to our discussion in class.