MAE602_British Poetry till 17th Century

Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock –I 193 be. The very next line uses a metaphor to compare Belinda’s own eyes to the sun; in fact, her eyes are more beautiful (they “must eclipse the Day”) than he is. Belinda is hardly waking up with the dawn, though: these lines tell us that, like the pampered lapdogs owned by the 18th century upper classes, or the sleepless lovers who don’t need to work and so have the energy to stay awake all night thinking about romance, it’s closer to noon. Lines 27-114 Fairest of Mortals, thou distinguish'd Care Of thousand bright Inhabitants of Air! If e'er one Vision touch'd thy infant Thought, Of all the Nurse and all the Priest have taught, Of airy Elves by Moonlight Shadows seen, The silver Token, and the circled Green, Or Virgins visited by Angel-Pow'rs, With Golden Crowns and Wreaths of heav'nly Flowers, Hear and believe! thy own Importance know, Nor bound thy narrow Views to Things below. Some secret Truths from Learned Pride conceal'd, To Maids alone and Children are reveal'd: What tho' no Credit doubting Wits may give? The Fair and Innocent shall still believe. Know then, unnumbered Spirits round thee fly, The light Militia of the lower Sky; These, tho' unseen, are ever on the Wing, CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

194 British Poetry till 17th century Hang o'er the Box, and hover round the Ring. Think what an Equipage thou hast in Air, And view with scorn Two Pages and a Chair. As now your own, our Beings were of old, And once inclos'd in Woman's beauteous Mold; Thence, by a soft Transition, we repair From earthly Vehicles to these of Air. Think not, when Woman's transient Breath is fled, That all her Vanities at once are dead: Succeeding Vanities she still regards, And tho' she plays no more, o'erlooks the Cards. Her Joy in gilded Chariots, when alive, And Love of Ombre, after Death survive. For when the Fair in all their Pride expire, To their first Elements the Souls retire: The Sprights of fiery Termagants in Flame Mount up, and take a Salamander's Name. Soft yielding Minds to Water glide away, And sip with Nymphs, their Elemental Tea. The graver Prude sinks downward to a Gnome, In search of Mischief still on Earth to roam. The light Coquettes in Sylphs aloft repair, CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock –I 195 And sport and flutter in the Fields of Air. Know farther yet; Whoever fair and chaste Rejects Mankind, is by some Sylph embrac'd: For Spirits, freed from mortal Laws, with ease Assume what Sexes and what Shapes they please. What guards the Purity of melting Maids, In Courtly Balls, and Midnight Masquerades, Safe from the treach'rous Friend, the daring Spark, The Glance by Day, the Whisper in the Dark; When kind Occasion prompts their warm Desires, When Musick softens, and when Dancing fires? 'Tis but their Sylph, the wise Celestials know, Tho' Honour is the Word with Men below. Some Nymphs there are, too conscious of their Face, For Life predestin'd to the Gnomes Embrace. These swell their Prospects and exalt their Pride, When Offers are disdain'd, and Love deny'd. Then gay Ideas crowd the vacant Brain; While Peers and Dukes, and all their sweeping Train, And Garters, Stars, and Coronets appear, And in soft Sounds, Your Grace salutes their Ear. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

196 British Poetry till 17th century 'Tis these that early taint the Female Soul, Instruct the Eyes of young Coquettes to roll, Teach Infants Cheeks a bidden Blush to know, And little Hearts to flutter at a Beau. Oft when the World imagine Women stray, The Sylphs thro' mystick Mazes guide their Way, Thro' all the giddy Circle they pursue, And old Impertinence expel by new. What tender Maid but must a Victim fall To one Man's Treat, but for another's Ball? When Florio speaks, what Virgin could withstand, If gentle Damon did not squeeze her Hand? With varying Vanities, from ev'ry Part, They shift the moving Toyshop of their Heart; Where Wigs with Wigs, with Sword-knots Sword-knots strive, Beaus banish Beaus, and Coaches Coaches drive. This erring Mortals Levity may call, Oh blind to Truth! the Sylphs contrive it all. Of these am I, who thy Protection claim, A watchful Sprite, and Ariel is my Name. Late, as I rang'd the Crystal Wilds of Air, CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock –I 197 In the clear Mirror of thy ruling Star I saw, alas! some dread Event impend, E're to the Main this Morning Sun descend. But Heav'n reveals not what, or how, or where: Warn'd by thy Sylph, oh Pious Maid beware! This to disclose is all thy Guardian can. Beware of all, but most beware of Man! What a dream indeed. Turns out our handsome youth is telling Belinda all about the spirits who control and protect young upper-class women of all personalities, without their knowledge. See, Belinda’s not just a nobody, or some unimportant dork of a girl. “Hear and believe! Thy own importance know” (I.35), he whispers, telling her she has an entire invisible entourage of fairy-like creatures who keep an eye on her, her hair, her clothes, and her social life, guiding and protecting her. Who are they, and where did they come from? In lines 47-56, the dream visitor tells her that they were all once beautiful young women like herself, whose spirits now take joy in overseeing the social drama and romantic exploits of the girls who come after them. We are introduced to four different kinds of these spirits: “Salamanders” (59-60), spirits of fire, who had strong personalities in life and were temperamental and quick to anger; “Nymphs” (61-62), water spirits who used to be wishy-washy girls; “Gnomes” (63-64), earthy types who were moody drama queens in life; and best of all the “Sylphs” (65-66), spirits of the air who when alive were “coquettes” — flirty happy girls, or the classic cheerleader types. We then learn, in lines 67-78, that the Sylphs are the best of all four, as their job is to guard the good name of young women through all kinds of social situations, especially regarding those with the opposite sex (don't you wish you had someone like that to help you navigate lunch period or Saturday night’s party?). CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

198 British Poetry till 17th century Upper-class women in Pope’s day had to be very careful about their reputations when it came to dealing with men who weren’t their fathers or husbands. They had to preserve their honor at all costs; in The Rape of the Lock, Pope imagines that the Sylphs are on a specific mission to help girls do just that. Lines 79-90 tell us more about what the Gnomes do: unlike the happy Sylphs, Gnomes fill young women with vanity and pride about their looks and the people they hang out with (yes, Gnomes turn girls into snobs who only care about status and who will do almost anything—even faking friendships or attraction — to get it). Not good. But the dream goes right back to the Sylphs in lines 91-104, reminding Belinda (and us) that even when the behavior of girls seems absolutely inexplicable (they drop a friend for no good reason, they don’t show up where or when they’re supposed to, they fall in and out of love often), it’s really the Sylphs who are masterminding the whole confusing deal. Finally, in lines 105-114, the dream visitor reveals who he is: Ariel, the most powerful of all the Sylphs, who is Belinda’s special guardian. And here, we get our first inkling that something terrible is about to happen in this poem: Ariel warns Belinda that he has a premonition of a dire event approaching, and that she needs to watch out for herself. He does not know exactly what it is, but he does know that it will involve a man. Cue the ominous music now. Not only does this section of the poem move us further forward in the plot thanks to Ariel’s warning, it’s also Pope’s way of teaching us (his readers) all about the “Machinery” or supernatural element of the poem that he told Arabella Fermor about in the dedicatory letter Lines 115-148 He said; when Shock, who thought she slept too long, Leapt up, and wak'd his Mistress with his Tongue. 'Twas then Belinda! if Report say true, Thy Eyes first open'd on a Billet-doux. Wounds, Charms, and Ardors, were no sooner read, CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock –I 199 But all the Vision vanish'd from thy Head. And now, unveil'd, the Toilet stands display'd, Each Silver Vase in mystic Order laid. First, rob'd in White, the Nymph intent adores With Head uncover'd, the Cosmetic Pow'rs. A heav'nly Image in the Glass appears, To that she bends, to that her Eyes she rears; Th' inferior Priestess, at her Altar's side, Trembling, begins the sacred Rites of Pride. Unnumber'd Treasures ope at once, and here The various Off'rings of the World appear; From each she nicely culls with curious Toil, And decks the Goddess with the glitt'ring Spoil. This Casket India's glowing Gems unlocks, And all Arabia breathes from yonder Box. The Tortoise here and Elephant unite, Transform'd to Combs, the speckled and the white. Here Files of Pins extend their shining Rows, Puffs, Powders, Patches, Bibles, Billet-doux. Now awful Beauty puts on all its Arms; The Fair each moment rises in her Charms, Repairs her Smiles, awakens ev'ry Grace, CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

200 British Poetry till 17th century And calls forth all the Wonders of her Face; Sees by Degrees a purer Blush arise, And keener Lightnings quicken in her Eyes. The busy Sylphs surround their darling Care; These set the Head, and those divide the Hair, Some fold the Sleeve, while others plait the Gown; And Betty's prais'd for Labours not her own. Belinda’s lapdog — yes, like Paris Hilton with her Chihuahua accessory, Belinda has a fancy little dog (“Shock”) to keep her company — ends the dream abruptly by waking her up with puppy kisses. Will she remember Ariel’s warning of dire things to come? Not likely, as the first thing she sees when she opens her eyes is a “Billet-doux” or a love letter (literally, it’s French for “sweet note” — try that out on your Valentine next year). Pope does not tell us who the letter’s from, but when she reads it, its contents (the “Wounds” her beauty has inflicted on the writer’s heart, and how strongly — “Ardor” — he feels about her “Charms,” line 119) make her completely forget about the dream. In what follows — the last 24 lines of this Canto, or section, of the poem — Pope gives us perhaps the grandest description of a girl putting on her makeup, doing her hair, and getting dressed, in all of British literature. Belinda gets out of bed, goes to her mirrored vanity, sits down, and with the help of the invisible Sylphs, she puts on her jewelry, makes up her face, does her hair, and laces herself up into her dress. Think Katniss in The Hunger Games, surrounded by Cinna and the rest of her personal- stylist team from the Capitol. “Betty,” in line 148, is Belinda’s maid, who — as the poem tells us — gets all of the credit for the fancy work the Sylphs actually do. This description of Belinda’s primping is another of those mock epic moments, juxtaposing the grand or the great with the trivial or the inconsequential. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock –I 201 9.2 Analysis The opening of the poem establishes its mock-heroic style. Pope introduces the conventional epic subjects of love and war and includes an invocation to the muse and a dedication to the man (the historical John Caryll) who commissioned the poem. Yet the tone already indicates that the high seriousness of these traditional topics has suffered a diminishment. The second line confirms in explicit terms what the first line already suggests: the “am’rous causes” the poem describes are not comparable to the grand love of Greek heroes but rather represent a trivialized version of that emotion. The “contests” Pope alludes to will prove to be “mighty” only in an ironic sense. They are card-games and flirtatious tussles, not the great battles of epic tradition. Belinda is not, like Helen of Troy, “the face that launched a thousand ships” (see the SparkNote on The Iliad, but rather a face that — although also beautiful — prompts a lot of foppish nonsense. The first two verse-paragraphs emphasize the comic inappropriateness of the epic style (and corresponding mind-set) to the subject at hand. Pope achieves this discrepancy at the level of the line and half- line; the reader is meant to dwell on the incompatibility between the two sides of his parallel formulations. Thus, in this world, it is “little men” who in “tasks so bold... engage”; and “soft bosoms” are the dwelling-place for “mighty rage.” In this startling juxtaposition of the petty and the grand, the former is real while the latter is ironic. In mock-epic, the high heroic style works not to dignify the subject but rather to expose and ridicule it. Therefore, the basic irony of the style supports the substance of the poem’s satire, which attacks the misguided values of a society that takes small matters for serious ones while failing to attend to issues of genuine importance. With Belinda’s dream, Pope introduces the “machinery” of the poem — the supernatural powers that influence the action from behind the scenes. Here, the sprites that watch over Belinda are meant to mimic the gods of the Greek and Roman traditions, who are sometimes benevolent and sometimes malicious, but always intimately involved in earthly events. The scheme also makes use of other ancient hierarchies and systems of order. Ariel explains that women’s spirits, when they die, return “to their first Elements.” Each female personality type (these types correspond to the four humours) is converted into a particular kind of sprite. These gnomes, sylphs, salamanders, and nymphs, in turn, are associated with the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water. The airy sylphs are those who in their lifetimes were “light Coquettes”; they have a CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

202 British Poetry till 17th century particular concern for Belinda because she is of this type, and this will be the aspect of feminine nature with which the poem is most concerned. Indeed, Pope already begins to sketch this character of the “coquette” in this initial canto. He draws the portrait indirectly, through characteristics of the Sylphs rather than of Belinda herself. Their priorities reveal that the central concerns of womanhood, at least for women of Belinda’s class, are social ones. Woman’s “joy in gilded Chariots” indicates an obsession with pomp and superficial splendor, while “love of Ombre,” a fashionable card game, suggests frivolity. The erotic charge of this social world in turn prompts another central concern: the protection of chastity. These are women who value above all the prospect marrying to advantage, and they have learned at an early age how to promote themselves and manipulate their suitors without compromising themselves. The Sylphs become an allegory for the mannered conventions that govern female social behavior. Principles like honor and chastity have become no more than another part of conventional interaction. Pope makes it clear that these women are not conducting themselves on the basis of abstract moral principles, but are governed by an elaborate social mechanism — of which the Sylphs cut a fitting caricature. And while Pope’s technique of employing supernatural machinery allows him to critique this situation, it also helps to keep the satire light and to exonerate individual women from too severe a judgment. If Belinda has all the typical female foibles, Pope wants us to recognize that it is partly because she has been educated and trained to act in this way. The society as a whole is as much to blame as she is. Nor are men exempt from this judgment. The competition among the young lords for the attention of beautiful ladies is depicted as a battle of vanity, as “wigs with wigs, with sword-knots sword-knots strive.” Pope’s phrases here expose an absurd attention to exhibitions of pride and ostentation. He emphasizes the inanity of discriminating so closely between things and people that are essentially the same in all important (and even most unimportant) respects. Pope’s portrayal of Belinda at her dressing table introduces mock-heroic motifs that will run through the poem. The scene of her toilette is rendered first as a religious sacrament, in which Belinda herself is the priestess and her image in the looking glass is the Goddess she serves. This parody of the religious rites before a battle gives way, then, to another kind of mock-epic scene, CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock –I 203 that of the ritualized arming of the hero. Combs, pins, and cosmetics take the place of weapons as “awful Beauty puts on all its arms.” Questions 1. How are we supposed to read the character of Belinda? Is she a wronged heroine? A lovable and sympathetic young lady? 2. Is Belinda’s story an effective vehicle for broader satire on the superficialities of eighteenth-century high society? What exactly is Pope satirizing? 3. Does Pope make fun of his epic sources? Does he make fun of the characters and situations to which the epic is applied, or does his use of the epic give them a kind of heroic dignity? 4. Explain the first canto of Alexander Pope’s \"The Rape of the Lock.\" References 1. https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/topic/rape-lock 2. https://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides2/Pope.html 3. https://www.teachitenglish.co.uk/resources/ks5/pope-alexander/poetry/teaching 9.3 Summary of the Rape of the Lock (Shortly) Canto 01 The Rape of the Lock begins with a passage outlining the subject of the poem and invoking the aid of the muse. Then the sun (“Sol”) appears to initiate the leisurely morning routines of a wealthy household. Lapdogs shake themselves awake, bells begin to ring, and although it is already noon, Belinda still sleeps. She has been dreaming, and we learn that the dream has been sent by “her guardian Sylph,” Ariel. The dream is of a handsome youth who tells her that she is protected by “unnumbered Spirits” — an army of Supernatural beings who once lived on earth as human women. The youth explains that they are the invisible guardians of women’s chastity although the credit is usually mistakenly given to CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

204 British Poetry till 17th century “Honor”rather than to their divine stewardship. Of these Spirits, one particular group—the Sylphs, who dwell in the air — serve as Belinda’s personal guardians; they are devoted, lover-like, to any woman that “rejects mankind,” and they understand and reward the vanities of an elegant and frivolous lady like Belinda. Ariel, the chief of all Belinda’s puckish protectors, warns her in this dream that “some dread event” is going to befall her that day, though he can tell her nothing more specific than that she should “beware of Man!” Then Belinda awakes, to the licking tongue of her lapdog, Shock. Upon the delivery of a billet-doux, or love-letter, she forgets all about the dream. She then proceeds to her dressing table and goes through an elaborate ritual of dressing, in which her own image in the mirror is described as a “heavenly image,” a “goddess.” The Sylphs, unseen, assist their charge as she prepares herself for the day’s activities. Canto 02 Belinda, rivaling the sun in her radiance, sets out by boat on the river Thames for Hampton Court Palace. She is accompanied by a party of glitzy ladies (“Nymphs”) and gentlemen, but is far and away the most striking member of the group. Pope’s description of her charms includes “the sparkling Cross she wore” on her “white breast,” her “quick” eyes and “lively looks,” and the easy grace with which she bestows her smiles and attentions evenly among all the adoring guests. Her crowning glories, though, are the two ringlets that dangle on her “ivory neck.” These curls are described as love’s labyrinths, specifically designed to ensnare any poor heart that might get entangled in them. One of the young gentlemen on the boat, the Baron, particularly admires Belinda’s locks, and has determined to steal them for himself. We read that he rose early that morning to build an altar to love and pray for success in this project. He sacrificed several tokens of his former affections, including garters, gloves, and billet-doux (love-letters). He then prostrated himself before a pyre built with “all the trophies of his former loves,” fanning its flames with his “amorous sighs.” The gods listened to his prayer but decided to grant only half of it. As the pleasure-boat continues on its way, everyone is carefree except Ariel, who remembers that some bad event has been foretold for the day. He summons an army of sylphs, who assemble around him in their iridescent beauty. He reminds them with great ceremony that one of their duties, after regulating celestial bodies and the weather and guarding the British monarch, is “to CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock –I 205 tend the Fair”: to keep watch over ladies’ powders, perfumes, curls, and clothing, and to “assist their blushes, and inspire their airs.” Therefore, since “some dire disaster” threatens Belinda, Ariel assigns her an extensive troop of bodyguards. Brillante is to guard her earrings, Momentilla her watch, and Crispissa her locks. Ariel himself will protect Shock, the lapdog. A band of fifty Sylphs will guard the all-important petticoat. Ariel pronounces that any sylph who neglects his assigned duty will be severely punished. They disperse to their posts and wait for fate to unfold. Canto 03 The boat arrives at Hampton Court Palace, and the ladies and gentlemen disembark to their courtly amusements. After a pleasant round of chatting and gossip, Belinda sits down with two of the men to a game of cards. They play ombre, a three-handed game of tricks and trumps, somewhat like bridge, and it is described in terms of a heroic battle: the cards are troops combating on the “velvet plain” of the card-table. Belinda, under the watchful care of the Sylphs, begins favorably. She declares spades as trumps and leads with her highest cards, sure of success. Soon, however, the hand takes a turn for the worse when “to the Baron fate inclines the field”: he catches her king of clubs with his queen and then leads back with his high diamonds. Belinda is in danger of being beaten, but recovers in the last trick so as to just barely win back the amount she bid. The next ritual amusement is the serving of coffee. The curling vapors of the steaming coffee remind the Baron of his intention to attempt Belinda’s lock. Clarissa draws out her scissors for his use, as a lady would arm a knight in a romance. Taking up the scissors, he tries three times to clip the lock from behind without Belinda seeing. The Sylphs endeavor furiously to intervene, blowing the hair out of harm’s way and tweaking her diamond earring to make her turn around. Ariel, in a last-minute effort, gains access to her brain, where he is surprised to find “an earthly lover lurking at her heart.” He gives up protecting her then; the implication is that she secretly wants to be violated. Finally, the shears close on the curl. A daring sylph jumps in between the blades and is cut in two; but being a supernatural creature, he is quickly restored. The deed is done, and the Baron exults while Belinda’s screams fill the air. Canto 04 Belinda’s “anxious cares” and “secret passions” after the loss of her lock are equal to the emotions of all who have ever known “rage, resentment and despair.” After the disappointed CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

206 British Poetry till 17th century Sylphs withdraw, an earthy gnome called Umbriel flies down to the “Cave of Spleen.” (The spleen, an organ that removes disease-causing agents from the bloodstream, was traditionally associated with the passions, particularly malaise; “spleen” is a synonym for “ill-temper.”) In his descent he passes through Belinda’s bedroom, where she lies prostrate with discomfiture and the headache. She is attended by “two handmaidens,” Ill-Nature and Affectation. Umbriel passes safely through this melancholy chamber, holding a sprig of “spleenwort” before him as a charm. He addresses the “Goddess of Spleen,” and returns with a bag of “sighs, sobs, and passions” and a vial of sorrow, grief, and tears. He unleashes the first bag on Belinda, fueling her ire and despair. There to commiserate with Belinda is her friend Thalestris. (In Greek mythology, Thalestris is the name of one of the Amazons, a race of warrior women who excluded men from their society.) Thalestris delivers a speech calculated to further foment Belinda’s indignation and urge her to avenge herself. She then goes to Sir Plume, “her beau,” to ask him to demand that the Baron return the hair. Sir Plume makes a weak and slang-filled speech, to which the Baron disdainfully refuses to acquiesce. At this, Umbriel releases the contents of the remaining vial, throwing Belinda into a fit of sorrow and self-pity. With “beauteous grief” she bemoans her fate, regrets not having heeded the dream-warning, and laments the lonely, pitiful state of her sole remaining curl. Canto 5 The Baron remains impassive against all the ladies’ tears and reproaches. Clarissa delivers a speech in which she questions why a society that so adores beauty in women does not also place a value on “good sense” and “good humour.” Women are frequently called angels, she argues, but without reference to the moral qualities of these creatures. Especially since beauty is necessarily so short-lived, we must have something more substantial and permanent to fall back on. This sensible, moralizing speech falls on deaf ears, however, and Belinda, Thalestris and the rest ignore her and proceed to launch an all-out attack on the offending Baron. A chaotic tussle ensues, with the gnome Umbriel presiding in a posture of self- congratulation. The gentlemen are slain or revived according to the smiles and frowns of the fair ladies. Belinda and the Baron meet in combat and she emerges victorious by peppering him with snuff and drawing her bodkin. Having achieved a position of advantage, she again demands that he return the lock. But the ringlet has been lost in the chaos, and cannot be found. The poet avers that the lock has risen to the heavenly CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock –I 207 spheres to become a star; stargazers may admire it now for all eternity. In this way, the poet reasons, it will attract more envy than it ever could on earth. 9.4 The Rape of the Lock – Overview Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock is a poem of five cantos, written in rhyming couplets. It is frequently referred to as a mock-heroic or mock-epic poem, on account of its parodic relationship with classical epics such as Homer’s The Iliad, and with the English epic tradition, especially John Milton’s Paradise Lost. Pope borrows much of the apparatus of The Rape of the Lock from the epic world, talking in terms of battles, heroes, gods and nymphs, glory and iniquity, but then applies those terms to a small, domestic, decidedly unepic scene. The poem’s very first couplet announces that it will deal with: What dire offence from amorous causes springs, What mighty contests rise from trivial things. The ‘rape of the lock’ to which the poem’s title refers, and the major event of the poem, is the seizing, by force (‘rape’ coming from the Latin rapere, to seize), of a lock of hair from a young lady named Belinda by her suitor, the dastardly Baron. This does not happen until the end of the poem’s third canto, with the delay itself being a parody of the way in which Milton, for instance, makes his reader wait until over halfway through Paradise Lost before narrating the crucial event of the Fall of Mankind. The rest of Pope’s poem is given over to intricate, comical descriptions of Belinda’s boudoir, the trials of the card table and the activities of the gloomy gnomes and sprites at the court of the Queen of Spleen, who sends Belinda, via Umbriel the gnome, a bag of ‘sighs, sobs, and passions, and the war of tongues’, and a vial filled ‘with fainting fears,/Soft sorrows, melting griefs, and flowing tears’. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Unit 5 CHAPTER 10 ALEXANDER POPE: THE RAPE OF THE LOCK – II Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 – 30 May 1744) Structure: 10.0 Learning Objectives 10.1 Poem: The Rape of the Lock – Canto-II 10.2 Analysis/Commentary 10.3 Short Questions and their Answers 10.4 Unit End Questions (MCQs and Descriptive) 10.5 References

Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock – II 209 10.0 Learning Objectives After reading this lesson, students will be able to:  Social satire  Love game and humour  Supernatural power The Rape of the Lock, perhaps the poet's most famous poem, appeared first in 1712, followed by a revised and enlarged version in 1714. When Lord Petre forcibly snipped off a lock from Miss Arabella Fermor’s head (the “Belinda” of the poem), the incident gave rise to a high-society quarrel between the families. With the idea of allaying this, Pope treated the subject in a playful and witty mock-heroic epic. The narrative poem brings into focus the onset of acquisitive individualism and conspicuous consumption, where purchased goods assume dominance over moral agency. In this canto, the sexual allegory of the poem begins to come into fuller view. The title of the poem already associates the cutting of Belinda’s hair with a more explicit sexual conquest, and here Pope cultivates that suggestion. He multiplies his sexually metaphorical language for the incident, adding words like “ravish” and “betray” to the “rape” of the title. He also slips in some commentary on the implications of his society’s sexual mores, as when he remarks that “when success a Lover’s toil attends,/few ask, if fraud or force attain’d his ends.” When Ariel speculates about the possible forms the “dire disaster” might take, he includes a breach of chastity (“Diana’s law”), the breaking of china (another allusion to the loss of virginity), and the staining of honor or a gown (the two incommensurate events could happen equally easily and accidentally). He also mentions some pettier social “disasters” against which the Sylphs are equally prepared to fight, like missing a ball (here, as grave as missing prayers) or losing the lapdog. In the Sylphs’ defensive efforts, Belinda’s petticoat is the battlefield that requires the most extensive fortifications. This fact furthers the idea that the rape of the lock stands in for a literal rape, or at least represents a threat to her chastity more serious than just the mere theft of a curl. As the irony of Pope’s military allusions suggests, Pope develops the poem’s sexual allegory in the second CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

210 British Poetry Till 17th Century canto. Pope’s use of the word “rape” denotes explicit cutting of Belinda’s curls. The “rape” of the lock therefore represents a greater threat to Belinda’s virtue than the theft of her hair would suggest. Pope’s word choice in the second canto strengthens this sexual imagery. 10.1 Poem: The Rape of the Lock – Canto-II Line: 1-18 Not with more Glories, in th' Etherial Plain, The Sun first rises o'er the purpled Main, Than issuing forth, the Rival of his Beams Lanch'd on the Bosom of the Silver Thames. Fair Nymphs, and well-drest Youths around her shone, But ev'ry Eye was fix'd on her alone. On her white Breast a sparkling Cross she wore, Which Jews might kiss, and Infidels adore. Her lively Looks a sprightly Mind disclose, Quick as her Eyes, and as unfix'd as those: Favours to none, to all she Smiles extends, Oft she rejects, but never once offends. Bright as the Sun, her Eyes the Gazers strike, And, like the sun, they shine on all alike. Yet graceful Ease, and Sweetness void of Pride, Might hide her Faults, if Belles had faults to hide: If to her share some Female Errors fall, CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock – II 211 Look on her Face, and you'll forget 'em all. Canto II opens with Belinda traveling down the River Thames. This is the main river that runs through London. People in the 18th century used to hire boats — kind of like a water taxi — to take them to destinations up and down the river. Belinda's on her way to a party at Hampton Court, a few miles upriver from her house. The boat is full of her equally well-dressed and good- looking friends, male and female, but Belinda outshines them all. She’s wearing a jeweled cross necklace as part of her ensemble, and she's making a ton of small talk. She is wearing a bejeweled cross which is so sparkling that even “Jews” and “infidels” would want to kiss it. And even though she can be flirtatious, she’s so superficially nice to everyone and she looks so good that everyone forgives her if she accidentally hurts someone's feelings. If there were such things as “popular” school cliques in Belinda's day, she would totally belong to one. She is so beautiful that any “female errors” she might make would be instantly forgotten when anyone looked on her face. Lines 19-46 This Nymph, to the Destruction of Mankind, Nourish'd two Locks, which graceful hung behind In equal Curls, and well conspir'd to deck With shining Ringlets her smooth Iv'ry Neck. Love in these Labyrinths his Slaves detains, And mighty Hearts are held in slender Chains. With hairy Sprindges we the Birds betray, Slight Lines of Hair surprize the Finny Prey, Fair Tresses Man's Imperial Race insnare, And Beauty draws us with a single Hair. Th' Adventrous Baron the bright Locks admir'd, CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

212 British Poetry Till 17th Century He saw, he wish'd, and to the Prize aspir'd: Resolv'd to win, he meditates the way, By Force to ravish, or by Fraud betray; For when Success a Lover's Toil attends, Few ask, if Fraud or Force attain'd his Ends. For this, e're Phoebus rose, he had implor'd Propitious Heav'n, and ev'ry Pow'r ador'd, But chiefly Love — to Love an Altar built, Of twelve vast French Romances, neatly gilt. There lay three Garters, half a Pair of Gloves; And all the Trophies of his former Loves. With tender Billet-doux he lights the Pyre, And breathes three am'rous Sighs to raise the Fire. Then prostrate falls, and begs with ardent Eyes Soon to obtain, and long possess the Prize: The Pow'rs gave Ear, and granted half his Pray'r, The rest, the Winds dispers'd in empty Air. Balinda’s hair, “to the destruction of mankind,” is styled into two beautiful curls. These locks of hair are so attractive that any man who looks on them is overcome with desire for her — the curls are “labyrinths” in which Love “detains” his “slaves,” binding men’s hearts in “slender chains.” The Baron is one such man, and he resolves to take one lock, either through trickery or by force. Finally, Pope introduces us to the locks themselves, the main subject of the poem's title, which he describes as hanging, perfectly curled and shiny, down the back of Belinda's neck. In CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock – II 213 these lines we also meet the Baron, the male protagonist of the story, who Pope tells us has been plotting and planning to steal those locks for a long time. In fact, we learn in lines 35-44 that he spent the early morning of this very day praying for the opportunity. We also learn in lines 45-46 that his prayers have been halfway granted. Belinda’s doom is sealed. Line: 47-72 But now secure the painted Vessel glides, The Sun-beams trembling on the floating Tydes, While melting Musick steals upon the Sky, And soften'd Sounds along the Waters die. Smooth flow the Waves, the Zephyrs gently play, Belinda smil'd, and all the World was gay. All but the Sylph — With careful Thoughts opprest, Th' impending Woe sate heavy on his Breast. He summons strait his Denizens of Air; The lucid Squadrons round the Sails repair: Soft o'er the Shrouds Aerial Whispers breathe, That seem'd but Zephyrs to the Train beneath. Some to the Sun their Insect-Wings unfold, Waft on the Breeze, or sink in Clouds of Gold. Transparent Forms, too fine for mortal Sight, Their fluid Bodies half dissolv'd in Light. Loose to the Wind their airy Garments flew, Thin glitt'ring Textures of the filmy Dew; CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

214 British Poetry Till 17th Century Dipt in the richest Tincture of the Skies, Where Light disports in ever-mingling Dies, While ev'ry Beam new transient Colours flings, Colours that change whene'er they wave their Wings. Amid the Circle, on the gilded Mast, Superior by the Head, was Ariel plac'd; His Purple Pinions opening to the Sun, He rais'd his Azure Wand, and thus begun. Poor Ariel. He and his posse of Sylphs have come along for the ride, to keep an eye on Belinda and make sure the party goes well for her. But while for all of the humans in the boat this is a perfect morning — the sun is shining, music is playing, Belinda is smiling — Ariel can't get the dire portents of the morning out of his head. He calls all of the Sylphs together from the air and from their perches in the boat sails, to have a quick strategy meeting and prepare for the worst. Unseen by Belinda and her friends, the gorgeously colored and transparent Sylphs gather around their leader, who begins to speak. In this passage Pope uses a lot of color, light, and air language to underscore the fragile beauty of these frivolous creatures: they speak in “Aerial whispers”(57) that to humans might sound only like “Zephyrs” — a Greek word for a light, playful breeze (51 and 58) — they “Waft” and sink in “Clouds of Gold” (60). Lines: 73-142 Ye Sylphs and Sylphids, to your Chief give Ear, Fays, Fairies, Genii, Elves, and Daemons hear! Ye know the Spheres and various Tasks assign'd, By Laws Eternal, to th' Aerial Kind. Some in the Fields of purest Aether play, CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock – II 215 And bask and whiten in the Blaze of Day. Some guide the Course of wandring Orbs on high, Or roll the Planets thro' the boundless Sky. Some less refin'd, beneath the Moon's pale Light Hover, and catch the shooting stars by Night; Or suck the Mists in grosser Air below, Or dip their Pinions in the painted Bow, Or brew fierce Tempests on the wintry Main, Or o'er the Glebe distill the kindly Rain. Others on Earth o'er human Race preside, Watch all their Ways, and all their Actions guide: Of these the Chief the Care of Nations own, And guard with Arms Divine the British Throne. Our humbler Province is to tend the Fair, Not a less pleasing, tho' less glorious Care. To save the Powder from too rude a Gale, Nor let th' imprison'd Essences exhale, To draw fresh Colours from the vernal Flow'rs, To steal from Rainbows ere they drop in Show'rs A brighter Wash; to curl their waving Hairs, Assist their Blushes, and inspire their Airs; Nay oft, in Dreams, Invention we bestow, CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

216 British Poetry Till 17th Century To change a Flounce, or add a Furbelo. This Day, black Omens threat the brightest Fair That e'er deserv'd a watchful Spirit's Care; Some dire Disaster, or by Force, or Slight, But what, or where, the Fates have wrapt in Night. Whether the Nymph shall break Diana's Law, Or some frail China Jar receive a Flaw, Or stain her Honour, or her new Brocade, Forget her Pray'rs, or miss a Masquerade, Or lose her Heart, or Necklace, at a Ball; Or whether Heav'n has doom'd that Shock must fall. Haste then ye Spirits! to your Charge repair; The flutt'ring Fan be Zephyretta's Care; The Drops to thee, Brillante, we consign; And Momentilla, let the Watch be thine; Do thou, Crispissa, tend her fav'rite Lock; Ariel himself shall be the Guard of Shock. To Fifty chosen Sylphs, of special Note, We trust th' important Charge, the Petticoat. Oft have we known that sev'nfold Fence to fail; Tho' stiff with Hoops, and arm'd with Ribs of Whale. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock – II 217 Form a strong Line about the Silver Bound, And guard the wide Circumference around. Whatever spirit, careless of his Charge, His Post neglects, or leaves the Fair at large, Shall feel sharp Vengeance soon o'ertake his Sins, Be stopt in Vials, or transfixt with Pins. Or plung'd in Lakes of bitter Washes lie, Or wedg'd whole Ages in a Bodkin's Eye: Gums and Pomatums shall his Flight restrain, While clog'd he beats his silken Wings in vain; Or Alom-Stypticks with contracting Power Shrink his thin Essence like a rivell'd Flower. Or as Ixion fix'd, the Wretch shall feel The giddy Motion of the whirling Mill, In Fumes of burning Chocolate shall glow, And tremble at the Sea that froaths below! He spoke; the Spirits from the Sails descend; Some, Orb in Orb, around the Nymph extend, Some thrid the mazy Ringlets of her Hair, Some hang upon the Pendants of her Ear; With beating Hearts the dire Event they wait, CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

218 British Poetry Till 17th Century Anxious, and trembling for the Birth of Fate. For these final sixty or so lines of Canto II, Ariel gives a stirring, grandiose speech to his army of Sylphs that warns them of Belinda's possible danger. First (74-90) he gives an overview of the entire spirit world, starting at the very top of the pecking order with those spirits who guide the cosmos and the galaxy, moving through those in charge of the sea and the weather, on down to those who guard and guide humanity, including the spirits who “guard with Arms Divine the British Throne” (61). He and his Sylphs, he goes on to say, have a much less important job: to keep an eye on society women like Belinda. In lines 91-100, he gives us details: Sylphs help with hairstyles, makeup, and fashion, without their humans ever knowing it. Powders and washes, flounces and furbelows: it’s all fun and games until Ariel throws down the doom and gloom in line 101. He warns the Sylphs that “black Omens” threaten their Belinda, and that they all have to pull together to guard her from whatever terrible thing is about to happen to her. In lines 111-122, he assigns certain posts to certain Sylphs: one for her fan, one for her earrings, one for her watch, one for her hair, and Ariel himself tells us he will protect Shock the dog. Fifty Sylphs are assigned to keep an eye on Belinda's skirt (dresses were BIG in those days). The final 14 lines of Ariel's speech (123-136) threaten any Sylph who falls down on the job with some horrific punishments. The speech over, the Sylphs all take their protective positions, and wait. Cue more ominous music. Fifty sylphs will look after Belinda’s petticoat, which is described as the “sevenfold fence” “stiff with hoops” and “armed with ribs of whale,” “the silver bound” with a “wide circumference.” Ariel completes his speech by explaining that, should anyone fail to look after their charge, they shall be severely punished. Quickly, all of them fall in line and await the dreaded event Ariel has predicted. 10.2 Analysis/Commentary Most epic poems include a sea voyage, so Belinda’s travelling by boat emphasizes her role as a parody of an epic hero. Her bejeweled cross, which is so beautiful that even “Jews” and “infidels” would be attracted by it, suggests Belinda’s lack of religious conviction — the cross is a beautiful ornament rather than a symbol of her faith, a point Pope underscores by noting its CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock – II 219 appeal to non-Christians. But Pope does suggest that perhaps her vanity is not all bad. The phrase “female errors” suggests that, as a woman, Belinda’s behavior is criticized more harshly than a man’s. So, if her beauty means that these “errors” are instantly forgotten when gazing on her face, it seems only fair and wise that she cultivate her beauty to escape unfair moral scrutiny. Here Pope once again appears to suggest that there might be something liberating about Belinda’s vanity. Her hair has the power to make “slaves” of the men who would treat her as an inferior person for being a woman, so depicting her curls as prisons for suitors who are dazzled by love suggests that her beauty evens the playing field a bit at the patriarchal court. The pyre is a reference to both pagan religious tradition and the epic tradition. Pyres were normally built for funerary purposes, but here the Baron is using his pyre to burn trivial items like “garters” and “gloves” in order to pray to the god Love. In this way, Pope continues his parody of court life. This moment also recalls the female vanity of Belinda’s own pagan altar, fashioned from her dressing table. In Pope’s time, men were expected to be morally and intellectually superior to women, but the parallel between the Baron’s frivolous pyre and Belinda’s dressing table altar paints the two as being morally equivalent in their frivolity. Here Pope complicates the sylphs’ influence even further. He has previously created echoes between Ariel and Satan in “Paradise Lost” to imply that the sylphs may be more devilish than they appear. Here, Pope echoes Milton again, but this time mimicking the voice of God himself, who calls out to the angels, “Hear all ye Angels, Progenie of Light,/Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Vertues, Powers,/Hear my Decree.” The effect is to suggest that Ariel’s motivation is somewhere between angelic and devilish, but Pope keeps this mysterious. Here, Ariel lists ostensibly important things (the loss of Belinda’s virginity or heart) alongside trivial ones (a stain on a dress or the loss of a necklace), which once again emphasizes the absurd fixation on appearances in the world of the court. This also calls into question again how much Ariel really cares for Belinda’s virtue. The sylphs’ names match their tasks a little too perfectly. Zephyretta’s name recalls the word “zephyr” (meaning a breeze), which matches the task of guarding Belinda’s fan. Momentilla’s name closely resembles the word “moment,” which is resonant with guarding the watch. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

220 British Poetry Till 17th Century Crispissa’s name recalls the word “crisp” (in its traditional sense) as a curl. This matching of names emphasizes the utter silliness of the whole process of guarding Belinda, their names making it seem as if they were all created specifically for these trivial tasks. The description of Belinda’s petticoat here mirrors Pope’s own descriptions of Ajax’s “sevenfold shield” and Achilles’ “broad shield,” surrounded by “living silver.” This furthers Pope’s characterization of Belinda as a parody of an epic hero, but it also emphasizes once again the significance of chastity in her world. While the shields of heroes exist to protect their lives, Belinda’s petticoat serves to restrict access to her sexually, and so the comparison of the petticoat to a shield suggests that for Belinda the loss of her virginity would be essentially fatal. 10.3 Short Questions and their Answers (i) What does the title of 'The Rape of the Lock' refer to? Ans.: The poem's title might seem confusing until we do a little digging into the etymology of the word “rape”. In the 18th century, in Pope's day, “rape” also meant to carry away or take something from someone by force. The word “lock” here means the tress, curl, or ringlet of a woman’s hair. (ii) What is the setting of ‘The Rape of the Lock’? Ans.: The action takes place in London and its environs in the early 1700's on a single day. The story begins at the London residence of Belinda. The scene then shifts to the Thames. The rest of the story takes place at Hampton Court Palace, except for a brief scene in the cave of the Queen of Spleen. (iii) ‘The Rape of the Lock’ is called a mock epic poem. Why? Ans.: Like typical epics, there is a statement of purpose and invocation to the Muse in “The Rape of the Lock”. It is divided into Cantos and written in heroic couplets. Moreover, there is use of supernatural machinery. However, there is a satirical twist in this epic. It satirizes the absurdities and frivolities of the aristocratic ladies and gentlemen. This makes this poem a ‘mock epic’. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock – II 221 (iv) Define allegory. Ans.: An allegory is an extended metaphor in which abstract ideas, concepts and principles are described in terms of characters, figures and events in ways that are comprehensible to its viewers, readers, or listeners. For example, George Orwell’s novel “Animal Farm” is a political allegory. (v) What is a heroic couplet? Ans.: A heroic couplet is a traditional form for English poetry, commonly used in epic and narrative poetry. It refers to poems constructed from a sequence of rhyming pairs of lines in iambic pentameter. For example: “Know then thyself, presume not God to scan/The proper study of Mankind is Man”. (vi) What are the satirical targets of 'The Rape of the Lock'? Ans.: The principal satirical targets of “The Rape of the Lock” are the absurdities and frivolities of the fashionable circle – aristocratic ladies and gentlemen – of the 18th century England. (vii) What are some of the images that recur through the poem ‘The Rape of the Lock’? Ans.: The first recurring image is the sun. It marks the passing of time in the poem and emphasizes the dramatic unity of the story. Another image that recurs is that of china. Delicate dishes that are beautiful, fragile, and purely luxurious form a fitting counterpart to a world that is ornamental. The images of gold and silver signify the real value of underlying glittery and mesmerizing surfaces. (viii) Write the names of the women in the poem 'The Rape of the Lock'? Ans.: There are five major women in the poem. Belinda is the heroine of the poem. Thalestris is Belinda's friend. Betty is Belinda’s maid. Clarissa is an attendant at the Hampton Court Party. Spleen is the queen of bad tempers and the source of detestable qualities in human beings. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

222 British Poetry Till 17th Century (ix) What is Belinda’s full name in ‘The Rape of the Lock’? Ans.: Belinda is the heroine of the poem “The Rape of the Lock” by Alexander Pope. She is named for a real person: Arabella Fermor; a member of Pope's circle of prominent Roman Catholics. (x) Who was the guardian spirit of Belinda? Ans.: The guardian spirit of Belinda is Ariel. He is a sylph. He warns her that something dreadful may happen and sets a guard of sylphs to protect his charge, but he is unsuccessful in preventing the loss of the lock of hair. 10.4 Unit End Questions (MCQs and Descriptive) A. Descriptive Type Questions 1. What trait does the Nymph (Arabella) possess that invites “the destruction of mankind”? 2. What does the “Adventurous Baron” long to possess? 3. What does the Baron burn as a sacrificial offering to Love? 4. Comment on the theme “The Rape of the Lock”. 5. How does Ariel threaten the sylphs in case they are negligent of their duties to Belinda? 6. Comment on the real-life incident on which \"The Rape of the Lock\" is composed. B. Multiple Choice/Objective Type Questions 1. The Rape of the Lock is published in -----------. (a) 1712 in two cantos (b) 1713 in two cantos (c) 1714 in two cantos 2. The Rape of the Lock is dedicated to ------------. (a) Arabella Fermor (b) Belinda (c) Clarissa (d) Caryl CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock – II 223 3. What dire from ---------- am’rous results consequences.? (a) Offence (b) Crimes (c) Results (d) Consequences 4. Oh blind to truth! the ---------- contrive it all. (a) Gnome (b) Salamanders (c) Sylphs (d) Nymphs 5. And deck the ----------- with the glittering spoil. (a) Belinda (b) Diana (c) Beauty (d) Goddess 6. From which century Pope was belonged to ? (a) 18 (b) 16 (c) 17 7. For what was Pope known better? (a) For use heroic couplet (b) For use blank verse (c) For use satirical verse 8. When was the poem The Rape of the Lock composed? (a) 1709 (b) 1710 (c) 1712 9. Which literary period Alexander Pope belong to? (a) Elizabethan period (b) New classical period (c) Jacobean age 10. What type of a poem The Rape of the Lock is? (a) Ballad (b) Mock epic (c) Ode CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

224 British Poetry Till 17th Century Answers 1. (a), 2. (a), 3. (a), 4. (c), 5. (d), 6. (a), 7. (c), 8. (c), 9. (b), 10. (b). 10.5 References 1. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii 2. https://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/rapeofthelock/section2/page/2/ 3. h http://myenglish63.blogspot.com/2ttps://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/ 4. http://myenglish63.blogspot.com/2 5. The Rape of the Lock by Sophie Ghee & Aubrey Beardsley 6. The Rape of the Lock an Heroi Comical Poem in Five Cantos by Alexander Pope CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)