The Rape of the Lock, and Other Poems
connection. Thalestris' call to arms and Clarissa's moral reproof are
integral parts of the poem. And as a result, perhaps, of its essential
unity 'The Rape of the Lock' bears witness to the presence of a power in
Pope that we should hardly have suspected from his other works, the
power of dramatic characterization. Elsewhere he has shown himself a
master of brilliant portraiture, but Belinda, the Baron, and Thalestris
are something more than portraits. They are living people, acting and
speaking with admirable consistency. Even the little sketch of Sir Plume
is instinct with life.
Finally 'The Rape of the Lock', in its limitations and defects, no less
than in its excellencies, represents a whole period of English poetry,
the period which reaches with but few exceptions from Dryden to
Wordsworth. The creed which dominated poetic composition during this
period is discussed in the introduction to the Essay on Criticism, (see
p. 103) and is admirably illustrated in that poem itself. Its repression
of individuality, its insistence upon the necessity of following in the
footsteps of the classic poets, and of checking the outbursts of
imagination by the rules of common sense, simply incapacitated the poets
of the period from producing works of the highest order. And its
insistence upon man as he appeared in the conventional, urban society of
the day as the one true theme of poetry, its belief that the end of
poetry was to instruct and improve either by positive teaching or by
negative satire, still further limited its field. One must remember in
attempting an estimate of 'The Rape of the Lock' that it was composed
with an undoubting acceptance of this creed and within all these
narrowing limitations. And when this is borne in mind, it is hardly too
much to say that the poem attains the highest point possible. In its
treatment of the supernatural it is as original as a poem could be at
that day. The brilliancy of its picture of contemporary society could
not be heightened by a single stroke. Its satire is swift and keen, but
never ill natured. And the personality of Pope himself shines through
every line. Johnson advised authors who wished to attain a perfect style
to give their days and nights to a study of Addison. With equal justice
one might advise students who wish to catch the spirit of our so-called
Augustan age, and to realize at once the limitations and possibilities
of its poetry, to devote themselves to the study of 'The Rape of the
Lock'.
DEDICATION
'Mrs. Arabella':
the title of Mrs. was still given in Pope's time to unmarried ladies as
soon as they were old enough to enter society.
'the Rosicrucian doctrine':
the first mention of the Rosicrucians is in a book published in Germany
in 1614, inviting all scholars to join the ranks of a secret society
said to have been founded two centuries before by a certain Christian
Rosenkreuz who had mastered the hidden wisdom of the East. It seems
probable that this book was an elaborate hoax, but it was taken
seriously at the time, and the seventeenth century saw the formation of
numerous groups of "Brothers of the Rosy Cross." They dabbled in
alchemy, spiritualism, and magic, and mingled modern science with
superstitions handed down from ancient times. Pope probably knew nothing
more of them than what he had read in 'Le Comte de Gabalis'.
This was the work of a French abbe, de Montfaucon Villars (1635-1673),
who was well known in his day both as a preacher and a man of letters.
It is really a satire upon the fashionable mystical studies, but treats
in a tone of pretended seriousness of secret sciences, of elemental
spirits, and of their intercourse with men. It was translated into
English in 1680 and again in 1714.
CANTO I
Lines '1-2'
Pope opens his mock-epic with the usual epic formula, the statement of
the subject. Compare the first lines of the 'Iliad', the 'AEneid', and
'Paradise Lost'. In l. 7 he goes on to call upon the "goddess," i.e. the
muse, to relate the cause of the rape. This, too, is an epic formula.
Compare 'AEneid', I, 8, and 'Paradise Lost', I, 27-33.
'3 Caryl':
see Introduction, p. 83. In accordance with his wish his name was not
printed in the editions of the poem that came out in Pope's lifetime,
appearing there only as C----or C----l.
'4 Belinda':
a name used by Pope to denote Miss Fermor, the heroine of 'The Rape of
the Lock'.
'12'
This line is almost a translation of a line in the 'AEneid' (I, 11),
where Virgil asks if it be possible that such fierce passions (as
Juno's) should exist in the minds of gods.
'13 Sol':
a good instance of the fondness which Pope shared with most poets of his
time for giving classical names to objects of nature. This trick was
supposed to adorn and elevate poetic diction. Try to find other
instances of this in 'The Rape of the Lock'.
Why is the sun's ray called "tim'rous"?
'16'
It was an old convention that lovers were so troubled by their passion
that they could not sleep. In the 'Prologue to the Canterbury Tales'
(ll. 97-98), Chaucer says of the young squire:
So hote he lovede, that by nightertale
He sleep namore than dooth a nightingale.
Pope, of course, is laughing at the easy-going lovers of his day who in
spite of their troubles sleep very comfortably till noon.
'17'
The lady on awaking rang a little hand-bell that stood on a table by her
bed to call her maid. Then as the maid did not appear at once she tapped
impatiently on the floor with the heel of her slipper. The watch in the
next line was a repeater.
'19'
All the rest of this canto was added in the second edition of the poem.
See pp. 84-86. Pope did not notice that he describes Belinda as waking
in I. 14 and still asleep and dreaming in ll. 19-116.
'20 guardian Sylph':
compare ll. 67-78.
'23 a Birth-night Beau':
a fine gentleman in his best clothes, such as he would wear at a ball on
the occasion of a royal birthday.
'30'
The nurse would have told Belinda the old tales of fairies who danced by
moonlight on rings in the greensward, and dropped silver coins into the
shoes of tidy little maids. The priest, on the other hand, would have
repeated to her the legend of St. Cecilia and her guardian angel who
once appeared in bodily form to her husband holding two rose garlands
gathered in Paradise, or of St. Dorothea, who sent an angel messenger
with a basket of heavenly fruits and flowers to convert the pagan
Theophilus.
'42 militia':
used here in the general sense of "soldiery."
'44 the box':
in the theater.
'the ring':
the drive in Hyde Park, where the ladies of society took the air.
'46 a chair':
a sedan chair in which ladies used to be carried about. Why is Belinda
told to scorn it?
'50'
What is the meaning of "vehicles" in this line?
'56 Ombre':
the fashionable game of cards in Pope's day. See his account of a game
in Canto III and the notes on that passage.
'57-67'
See 'Introduction', p. 85.
'69-70'
Compare 'Paradise Lost', I, 423-431.
'79'
conscious of their face: proud of their beauty.
'81 These':
the gnomes who urge the vain beauties to disdain all offers of love and
play the part of prudes.
'85 garters, stars, and coronets':
the garter is the badge of the Knights of the Garter, an order founded
by Edward III, to which only noble princes and noblemen of the highest
rank were admitted. "Stars" are the jeweled decorations worn by members
of other noble orders. "Coronets" are the inferior crowns worn by
princes and nobles, not by sovereigns.
'86 "Your Grace"':
the title bestowed in England on a duchess--The idea in this passage,
ll. 83-86, is that the gnomes fill the girls' minds with hopes of a
splendid marriage and so induce them to "deny love."
'94 impertinence':
purposeless flirtation.
'97-98 Florio ... Damon':
poetic names for fine gentlemen; no special individuals are meant.
'100' Why is a woman's heart called a "toy-shop"?
'101 Sword-knots':
tassels worn at the hilts of swords. In Pope's day every gentleman
carried a sword, and these sword-knots were often very gay.
'105 who thy protection claim':
what is the exact meaning of his phrase?
'108 thy ruling Star':
the star that controls thy destinies, a reference to the old belief in
astrology.
'115 Shock':
Belinda's pet dog. His name would seem to show that he was a
rough-haired terrier.
'118'
Does this line mean that Belinda had never seen a billet-doux before?
'119 Wounds, Charms, and Ardors':
the usual language of a love-letter at this time.
'124 the Cosmetic pow'rs':
the deities that preside over a lady's toilet. Note the playful satire
with which Pope describes Belinda's toilet as if it were a religious
ceremony. Who is "th' inferior priestess" in l. 127?
'131 nicely':
carefully.
'134 Arabia':
famous for its perfumes.
'145 set the head':
arrange the head-dress.
'147 Betty':
Belinda's maid.
CANTO II
'4 Launch'd':
embarked.
'25 springes':
snares.
'26 the finny prey':
a characteristic instance of Pope's preference or circumlocution to a
direct phrase.
'35-36'
A regular formula in classical epics. In Virgil (XI, 794-795) Phoebus
grants part of the prayer of Arruns; the other part he scatters to the
light winds.
'38 vast French Romances':
these romances were the customary reading of society in Pope's day when
there were as yet no English novels. Some of them were of enormous
length. Addison found several of them in a typical lady's library, great
folio volumes, finely bound in gilt ('Spectator', 37).
'58 All but the Sylph':
so in Homer (1-25), while all the rest of the army is sleeping Agamemnon
is disturbed by fear of the doom impending over the Greeks at the hands
of Hector.
'60 Waft':
wave, or flutter.
'70 Superior by the head':
so in Homer ('Iliad', III, 225-227) Ajax is described as towering over
the other Greeks by head and shoulders.
'73 sylphids':
a feminine form of "sylphs."
'74'
This formal opening of Ariel's address to his followers is a parody of a
passage in 'Paradise Lost', V, 600-601.
'75 spheres':
either "worlds" or in a more general sense "regions."
'79'
What are the "wandering orbs," and how do they differ from planets in l.
80?
'97 a wash':
a lotion for the complexion.
'105'
Diana, the virgin huntress, was in a peculiar sense the goddess of
chastity.
'106 China jar':
the taste for collecting old china was comparatively new in England at
this time. It had been introduced from Holland by Queen Anne's sister,
Queen Mary, and was eagerly caught up by fashionable society.
'113 The drops':
the diamond earrings.
'118 the Petticoat':
the huge hoop skirt which had recently become fashionable. Addison, in a
humorous paper in the 'Tatler' (No. 116), describes one as about
twenty-four yards in circumference.
'128 bodkin':
a large needle.
'133 rivel'd':
an obsolete raiment of "obrivelled."
'133 Ixion':
according to classical mythology Ixion was punished for his sins by
being bound forever upon a whirling wheel.
'134 Mill':
the mill in which cakes of chocolate were ground up preparatory to
making the beverage.
'138 orb in orb':
in concentric circles.
'139 thrid':
a variant form of "thread."
CANTO III
'3 a structure':
Hampton Court, a palace on the Thames, a few miles above London. It was
begun by Wolsey, and much enlarged by William III. Queen Anne visited it
occasionally, and cabinet meetings were sometimes held there. Pope
insinuates (l. 6) that the statesmen who met in these councils were as