Rape of the lock

Alexander Pope was born in London in 1 6 8 8 . As a Roman Catholic living during a

time of Protestant consolidation in England, he was largely excluded from the
university system and from political life, and suffered certain social and economic
disadvantages because of his religion as well. He was self-taught to a great
extent, and was an assiduous scholar from a very early age. He learned several
languages on his own, and his early verses were often imitations of poets he
admired. His obvious talent found encouragement from his father, a linen-draper,
as well as from literary-minded friends. At the age of twelve, Pope contracted a
form of tuberculosis that settled in his spine, leaving him stunted and misshapen
and causing him great pain for much of his life. He never married, though he
formed a number of lifelong friendships in Londons literary circles, most notably
with Jonathan Swift.
Pope wrote during what is often called the Augustan Age of English literature
(indeed, it is Popes career that defines the age). During this time, the nation had
recovered from the English Civil Wars and the Glorious Revolution, and the
regained sense of political stability led to a resurgence of support for the arts. For
this reason, many compared the period to the reign of Augustus in Rome, under
whom both Virgil and Horace had found support for their work. The prevailing
taste of the day was neoclassical, and 1 8 th-century English writers tended to
value poetry that was learned and allusive, setting less value on originality than
the Romantics would in the next century. This literature also tended to be morally
and often politically engaged, privileging satire as its dominant mode.
The Rape of the Lock is one of the most famous English-language examples of
the mock-epic. Published in its first version in 1 7 1 2 , when Pope was only 2 3 years
old, the poem served to forge his reputation as a poet and remains his most
frequently studied work. The inspiration for the poem was an actual incident
among Popes acquaintances in which Robert, Lord Petre, cut off a lock of
1

Arabella Fermors hair, and the young peoples families fell into strife as a result.
John Caryll, another member of this same circle of prominent Roman Catholics,
asked Pope to write a light poem that would put the episode into a humorous
perspective and reconcile the two families. The poem was originally published in
a shorter version, which Pope later revised. In this later version he added the
machinery, the retinue of supernaturals who influence the action as well as the
moral of the tale.
After the publication of The Rape of the Lock, Pope spent many years translating
the works of Homer. During the ten years he devoted to this arduous project, he
produced very few new poems of his own but refined his taste in literature (and
his moral, social, and political opinions) to an incredible degree. When he later
recommenced to write original poetry, Pope struck a more serious tone than the
one he gave to The Rape of the Lock. These later poems are more severe in
their moral judgments and more acid in their satire: Popes Essay on Man is a
philosophical poem on metaphysics, ethics, and human nature, while in
the Dunciad Pope writes a scathing expos of the bad writers and pseudointellectuals of his day.

Lines 1-12
WHAT dire Offence from am'rous Causes springs,
What mighty Contests rise from trivial Things,
I singThis Verse to Caryll, Muse! is due;
This, ev'n Belinda may vouchsafe to view:
Slight is the Subject, but not so the Praise,
If She inspire, and He approve my Lays.
Say what strange Motive, Goddess! cou'd compel
A well-bred Lord t'assault a gentle Belle?
2

Oh say what stranger Cause, yet unexplor'd,

Cou'd make a gentle Belle reject a Lord?
In Tasks so bold, can Little Men engage,
and in soft Bosoms dwells such Mighty Rage?

Do you ever say a quick prayer to some higher power before trying to do
something really difficult, like nail a foul shot in a basketball game or take a hairy
test in Algebra class? Ancient Greek and Roman poets like Homer (in the Iliad)
and Virgil (in the Aeneid), and British heavyweights like John Milton (in Paradise
Lost) would do the same thing as they began their epics, dedicating their poetic
efforts to (and asking for inspirational help from) the Muses, the Greek gods, or
(in Milton's case) God himself.

In the first six lines of Canto I, Pope is doing just that, but in a very tongue-incheek way. Instead of a divinity, he dedicates the poem to his and Arabella
Fermor's friend John Caryll, who originally asked him to write it, and to "Belinda"
(i.e., Arabella, the woman the poem is ostensibly about). This is called an
invocation.

Here Pope sets the stage for the action that's coming, and gives us a bit of a
mystery to follow as we read. Why (as he asks the "Goddess"probably a Muse)
would a Lord assault a young Lady? Why would a young Lady get angry at a
Lord? Why would a society man do such a thing? And are society women really
capable of getting into a rage about it?

Also here at the very beginning of his long poem, with this mock-dedication,
Pope is setting his readers up for a theme that will come back over and over
again: the Rape of the Lock as what literature historians call a mock epic: a poem
that takes as its model far more serious epics like the Iliad, the Odyssey,
the Aeneid, and Paradise Lost, using high-flying poetic language and
grand metaphors just like they do. But mock epics are about something trivial
and small, like a young society woman losing a piece of her hair, instead of about
a great war between the Trojans and Greeks, or the founding of the Roman
Empire, or the fall of Adam and Eve.

Pope isn't just making fun of grand epics, though: he's also paying an
affectionate tribute to them, and demonstrating at the same time how well he
knows epic poetry. Every educated person of Pope's day knew epic poetry really
well, better even than you know the lyrics to the latest Katy Perry single. That's
because the early 18th century loved Classical Greek and Roman culture.
Historians call it the age of neoclassicism.

This makes The Rape of the Lock especially fun for people who have read
the Iliad and the Odyssey and the Aeneid. Have you ever listened to Weird Al
Yankovic doing his "Polka Face" spoof of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face," or his
"Party in the CIA" version of Miley Cyrus's "Party in the U.S.A"? They're really

funny and clever all at the same time, especially if you know the original song
really well.The Rape of the Lock is a lot like that. This is only the first of many
mock-epic moments in the poem; we'll point them out to you as we go through it.

Following the mock-epic theme, then, the first twelve lines go

aboutjuxtaposing the grand and the trivial. Notice how the first line contains "dire
Offence" (i.e., a horrific crime) and "am'rous Causes" (that's "amorous," meaning
connected to love and romance, but Pope has shortened the word with an
apostrophe to make it fit themeter of the line.)?

And notice how the second line contains "mighty Contests" and "trivial Things"?
How about in line eleven, which has "Tasks so bold" and "Little Men," or line
twelve, with "soft Bosoms" and "mighty Rage"? Yep, that's juxtaposition again.
The technique is often used (as it is here) as a tool of satire.

By placing the high and mighty next to the trivial, Pope can actuallymake the high
and mighty seem trivial, and then get his readers to question why they thought it
was high and mighty in the first place.

Another cool poetic trick that Pope uses often comes in the last two lines of this
section: "In Tasks so Bold, can little Men engage,/ And in soft Bosoms dwell such
mighty Rage?" (11-12). If you look at both lines together, you'll see that the first
half of the first line ("Tasks so Bold") goes with the second half of the second line
("mighty Rage"), and the second half of the first line ("little Men") goes well with
the first half of the second ("soft Bosoms").

This poetic device is called a chiasmus, from the Greek word for "cross." Look for
more instances of it throughout the poem.

What do you think Pope is up to by using it here?

Have you noticed the poem's form by now? The entire thing, like these first
twelve lines, is written in iambic pentameter and rhymedcouplets (another term
for these is heroic couplets).

See the "Form and Meter" section for a more detailed description of the heroic
couplet, but take a sec to notice here (and all the way through the poem) how the
side-by-side pairing of the couplets makes it easy for Pope to do the kind of
juxtaposition we were looking at above.

Pope was really, really, really good at heroic couplets, by the way. And we mean
good. For a short description of just how good, see our guide to a snippet from
one of his later poems, An Essay on Criticism.

Lines 1326
4

Sol thro' white Curtains shot a tim'rous Ray,

And op'd those Eyes that must eclipse the Day;
Now Lapdogs give themselves the rowzing Shake,
And sleepless Lovers, just at Twelve, awake:
Thrice rung the Bell, the Slipper knock'd the Ground,
And the press'd Watch return'd a silver Sound.
Belinda still her downy Pillow prest,
Her Guardian Sylph prolong'd the balmy Rest.
'Twas he had summon'd to her silent Bed
The Morning-Dream that hover'd o'er her Head.
A Youth more glitt'ring than a Birth-night Beau,
(That ev'n in Slumber caus'd her Cheek to glow)
Seem'd to her Ear his winning Lips to lay,
And thus in Whispers said, or seem'd to say.

Ah, the leisurely life of the rich and beautiful. Here we meet our heroine, Belinda,
just waking up as the sun peeks through her window curtains. Barely awake, she
rings the bell next to her bed to call her maid, and knocks her slipper against the
floor for extra emphasis. She checks her watch to see what time it is, and then
sinks back into a doze.

We also meet Ariel, her "Guardian Sylph" (like a guardian angel but a lot smaller),
who gives her an extra dream as she falls back to sleep. And what a dream it is.
A very handsome, well-dressed young manhe makes her blush even in her
sleepis whispering in her ear.

"Sol" in the very first line is a personification of the sun, and Pope makes him
seem almost shy to be peeking in to Belinda's window, as if he's afraid to disturb
her. And indeed he should 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

And Belinda's no Cinderella, as her bell and knocking slipper also show. She's
got a maid coming to bring her breakfast and help her get dressed. She's also
got a fancy watch that chimes to tell her the time.

So who is this dream boy whispering in her ear? We're not sure yet, but we do
know that he's more decked out than "a Birth-night Beau." Every year, members
of the British royal family would throw super-fancy Birth-night parties to celebrate
their birthdays, and the nobility would go dressed in their finest clothes (think the

red carpet on Oscar night, but more so). This dude is stylin'. No wonder she's
blushing in her sleep.

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,
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,
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.
'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,
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:
7

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 fairylike 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?).

Upperclass 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; inThe 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 anythingeven faking friendships or attractionto 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.

This is another mock-epic moment: in a serious poem like the Iliad, Greek gods
like Zeus or Athena might be controlling and guiding and protecting the hero;
in The Rape of the Lock, Belinda is protected and guided by the spirits of froufrou young women, who used to love, on lines 55 and 56, "gilded Chariots"
(decorated coaches, the fancy cars of Pope's day) and "Ombre" (a card game
played at parties) just like herself.

Where Athena might help a Greek hero like Achilles fight a Trojan hero
like Hector, Ariel and his fellow Sylphs give Belinda a hand making it through
"Courtly Balls, and Midnight Masquerades" (72), or dealing with mean friends or
boys who try to take advantage of her (the "daring Spark" of line 73). The whole
thing is ridiculously silly.

Or is it? Belinda may be only a pretty girl with money, but the poem, even though
it's frivolous, is still granting her all kinds of importance. As line 27 says, she is
the "Fairest of Mortals," and she is our heroine after all.

Pope is, as he has been doing all along, using the power of juxtaposition again:
mock-epic Belinda's superficial social life might seem trivial compared to the
mighty exploits of epic Achilles, but then again doesn't Achilles himselfand all
of those posing, preening Greek and Trojan warriorsseem a little silly by
association with Belinda and the girls she hangs out with?

Speaking of double-edged compliments, did you think that some of the language
Pope uses to describe women's minds and hearts in lines 91-104 is a little
condescending? "giddy Circles," "varying Vanities," "the moving Toyshop of their
Heart"?

You're right. As with the dedicatory letter, we're back in the territory of how low an
opinion 18th-century society held of women's intellects and capacities.

Pope pays Belinda and her kind massive compliments on their beauty and
clothing and wit throughout this poem, but he's also at the same time reinforcing
the stereotype of women like her as airheads.

Notice that Pope uses the model of the four elements (air, earth, water, fire) to
classify his spirits. Why do you think he does this?

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,
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,
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.

10

Belinda's lapdogyes, like Paris Hilton with her Chihuahua accessory, Belinda
has a fancy little dog ("Shock") to keep her companyends the dream abruptly

by waking her up with puppy kisses. Will she remember Ariel's warning of dire
things to come?

11

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 followsthe last 24 lines of this Canto, or section, of the poemPope

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 usgets 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. Pope uses three different extended metaphors to nail the
juxtaposition. The first one (121-128) is religious: Belinda's "Toilet" (121) is
likened to an "Altar" (127), and Belinda and Betty are made into priestessworshipers.

What god are they praying to? Belinda's own image, of course (125).

Their decking out of Belinda's face in the mirror is made into a form of worship
service, or "The sacred Rites of Pride" (128), as Pope puts it. Just before you
think Pope might be going a bit to far with this, ask yourself what an alien from
outer space might think of howyou get ready for school in the morning, especially
if you take a lot of time with your hair and makeup.

VanityBelinda's absolute love of her own appearanceand the bad effects too
much of it can have on society, is a huge theme inThe Rape of the Lock. This
section of Canto I is where we first see it, but look out for it throughout the rest of
the poem.

The second extended metaphor, from lines 129 to 138, takes us from the church
of Belinda's face to the outer territories of the British Empire. Pope takes an
inventory of what's on Belinda's dressing-table (her jewelry, her perfume, her

makeup, her hair toys), and reminds us where all of the stuff originally came
from.

These are "the various Off'rings of the World" (130): her "Gems" from India, her
perfumes from Arabia, her ivory and tortoise-shell combs from elephants and
tortoises. You did know that the British Empire was getting larger and more
powerful all throughout the eighteenth century, didn't you? Remember, in 1714
when the poem was written, the good old U.S. of A. was still thirteen colonies
paying taxes to Britain, and British ships and merchants were scurrying all over
the globe to bring back fancy goodies like perfume and ivory to deck out those
who could afford them back home.

Pope is celebrating all of this power and wealth even while he trivializes it by
putting it in the form of the cosmetics and gewgaws in Belinda's room. Notice too
how Belinda herself is oblivious to the nature or source of her accessories, as
they're all jumbled together on the table top ("Puffs, Powders, Patches, Bibles,
Billet-doux" in line 138).

"Patches," by the way, refers to the artificial beauty marks that 18th-century men
and women would stick onto their faces in strategic places. Seem weird to you?
Imagine what they would have thought of pierced eyebrows. It's all relative,
people.

The third extended metaphor makes Belinda into a warrior of sorts. A hottie
warrior. Ever hear the '80s song by Pat Benatar, "Love is a Battlefield"? Belinda's
hair-and-makeup session is arming her for warwell, more truthfully, for the
fancy party she will go to in the very next Canto.

Pope has already told us that her jewelry and cosmetics are "Spoil" (132),
meaning the "spoils of war" (and not rotten fruit).

"Now awful Beauty puts on all its arms" (139), Pope tells us, and Belinda
becomes like Achilles putting on his armor before facing the Trojans in battle.
(Think about that while you're getting ready for the prom.) Who will Belinda be
"fighting," though?

Canto 2
Lines 1-18
12

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,
Look on her Face, and you'll forget 'em all.

13

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 boatskind of like a water
taxito 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. 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.

We are back to the sun again in these first few lines of Canto II. Remember how "Sol"
(a.k.a., the sun) was so shy about peeping through Belinda's window curtains at the
beginning of Canto I, because Belinda's very eyes would rival his beams for beauty?
Here Pope continues the metaphor that relates Belinda and the sun, taking it to the
absolute nth degree in the first four lines, where she is "the Rival of his Beams" (3).

What's going on with that cross around her neck in lines 7-8, the one "Which Jews might
kiss, and Infidels adore"?

Here's the deal: Pope is gently poking fun at religious prejudices here, telling us that
Belinda is so beautiful at this moment, even a Jewish person or an "infidel" (by this Pope
probably means a follower of Islam; yes, you're right in guessing that people in Pope's
day were not as tolerant of different religions as we are now) would kiss the very

Christian cross she wears. It's another reminder (as if we needed one here, right?) of
how darn good she looks.

Pope hits us with a simile in lines 13-14, comparing Belinda to the sun (again), telling us
that just like the sun, her smiles and brightness shine on everyone alike. A great
compliment, isn't it? But look at it again more closely and you'll see it's got a double
edge: the sun is superficial, not deep. So, by extension, is our friend Belinda.

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,
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.

14

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 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 4546 that his prayers have been halfway
granted. Belinda's doom is sealed.

Do you think that the locks of hair hanging down Belinda's neck are accidental? Yeah
right. She's actually "Nourish'd" (20) them both, knowing full well that a few strategic
curls can be very attractive. Pope gives us two tidy metaphors here: in lines 23-24 the
locks are "slender Chains" with the power to enslave their beholder; in lines 25-28 they
are tools for catching admirers, much like "Sprindges" (i.e. snares) or fishing line might
catch a bird or a fish.

If love was a battlefield in the first Canto, here at the beginning of the second Canto love
is a little more like a hunting trip, with Belinda out to catch herself a boyfriend. We
wouldn't say she is literally planning on tying up a likely dude with her hair, though (this
isn'tTangled, kids).

Lines 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;
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,
15

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 morningthe sun is shining, music is playing, Belinda is smiling
Ariel can't get the dire portents of the morning out of his head. Bad stuff's gonna go
down.

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).

More great words in this part that completely nail the image: "Transparent," "fluid,"
"dissolv'd in Light," "airy," "glitt'ring," and "filmy." Pope wants to make totally certain that
you don't miss his point: the Sylphs are beautiful, colorful, and delicate, like a lot of
butterflies. You didn't miss his point, did you?

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,
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;
16

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,
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.
Form a strong Line about the Silver Bound,
And guard the wide Circumference around.
17

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,
Anxious, and trembling for the Birth of Fate.

18

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 (123136) 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.

19

Here we go again with another of Pope's poetic juxtapositions; in fact, Ariel's entire
speech puts the sublime and the ridiculous side by side so often that the chief Sylph
could quit his day job and go write for Monty Python's Flying Circus.

From his opening shout-out to all classes of spirits (that's what he means in lines 73 and
74, when he calls to "Ye Sylphs and Sylphids" and to all of the "Fays, Fairies, Genii,
Elves and Daemons") to his description of the grand powers that move the planets and
stars in their orbits, or control the weather, or keep an eye on the Queen of England, his
speech in lines 73 through 90 is about as inflated as you can get.

But where, in all of this pomp and circumstance, do he and his fellow Sylphs fit in? After
line 91, we get the answer: the realm of the ridiculous. Bling and frills, curls and perfume,
the keen fashion sense of the idle richright up next to the sun, moon, stars, and the
government of nations.

If you haven't snorted your milk through your nose yet, you might get there soon: the
juxtapositions keep on coming thicker and faster from lines 105 through 110 as Ariel
speculates on what Belinda's dire fate will be. Pope is making much of the couplet form
here to bring his juxtapositions across.

Take a close look at lines 105 and 106: "Whether the Nymph shall break Diana's law,/ Or
some frail China jar receive a Flaw." The "Nymph" is Belinda, and "Diana" in that first line
is the Roman goddess of chastity and the moon. What do you think "Diana's law" might
be? Yep, you're right: Ariel is wondering if Belinda might lose her virginity today. A pretty
monumental thing, if it did happen.

But what does Pope juxtapose that with, in the very next line? Whether or not a vase
might get a crack in it. If you feel like Ariel has his priorities confused by putting these
two things on an equal footing within a couplet, you're right.

Now look at the juxtaposition that occurs within the very next line: "Or stain her Honour,
or her new Brocade." "Brocade" stands for a new dress made out of a fancy
embroidered fabric. Is the Ariel equating a stain on Belinda's honor with a stain on her
dress? Absolutely. Is that messed up? Absolutely.

Keep on going, and you'll see more examples of this over the next two lines, ending
finally with Ariel getting anxious about the fate of Shock the dog.

Notice how Pope is developing that whole juxtaposition thing into commentary on the
priorities of the society he lives in. Have you ever listened to your friends freaking out
over Justin Bieber's current relationship status and thought, get real, people.

Yeah, it's kind of like that.

Check out the odd names that Ariel gives to specific Sylphs when he assigns a
protective mission to each one in lines 111-116.

Remember the word "Zephyr" from earlier in this Canto, which referred to a gentle
breeze? Here we have a Sylph named "Zephiretta," whom Ariel assigns to watch
Belinda's fan. Get it?

And see why "Brillante" might be needed to keep an eye on her diamonds, and
"Momentilla" her watch? "Crispissa" is a play on the Latin word for "curl." Pope is having
a ton of geek fun with words here, as you might have noticed. Puns galore.

And then there's the issue of the petticoat in line 117-122. Sure, women's skirts were
huge in those days, but fifty Sylphs are needed to guard it? What do you think Ariel is
getting at here? Hint: it has something to do with "Diana's law" again. Bingo.

Someone getting up Belinda's skirts (figuratively and literally) would probably be one of
the worst things that could happen to her reputation. If you are starting to think that
reputation and honor, mainly when it came to sex, were really important to young society
women in the 18th century, you're right on the money.

And while women's corsets and petticoats were pretty formidable in those days (as the
poem describes, made with hoops and whalebone, which was a little springy), the
implication here is that all of that construction might not be enough to keep out a
persistent suitor.

Now on to Ariel's punishments for those Sylphs who might fall asleep on the job, in lines
123-136. Slacking Sylphs might find themselves stuck in small glass jars or poked with
pins, dunked in cosmetic "Washes" (imagine drowning in a lake of Sea Breeze), or stuck
in a hairpin (that's the "Bodkin's eye" in line 128).

They might also get gooed up in hair gel or lotion ("Gums and Pomatums," line 129),
shrunk into nothingness ("Alom-stypticks" were astringents that were used for first-aid to
stop bleeding), or imprisoned in a coffee grinder, or drowned in a sea of hot chocolate.

With the coffee grinder Pope gets in a tiny allusion in line 133 to the Classical Greek
character Ixion, who was doomed to revolve on a wheel in Hades for eternity. Yep, more
juxtaposition. It's everywhere

Overall, these are perfect punishments for the frivolous Sylphs, wouldn't you say? No
wonder they so diligently repair to their posts in Belinda's skirts, hair, and earrings, to
wait for whatever comes. Are you starting to worry about her yet?

Canto4
Lines 1-18

Close by those Meads for ever crown'd with Flow'rs,

Where Thames with Pride surveys his rising Tow'rs,
There stands a Structure of Majestick Frame,
Which from the neighb'ring Hampton takes its Name.
20

Here Britain's Statesmen oft the Fall foredoom

Of Foreign Tyrants, and of Nymphs at home;
Here Thou, great Anna! whom three Realms obey,
Dost sometimes Counsel takeand sometimes Tea.
Hither the Heroes and the Nymphs resort,
To taste awhile the Pleasures of a Court;
In various Talk th' instructive hours they past,
Who gave the Ball, or paid the Visit last:
One speaks the Glory of the British Queen,
And one describes a charming Indian Screen.
A third interprets Motions, Looks, and Eyes;
At ev'ry Word a Reputation dies.
Snuff, or the Fan, supply each Pause of Chat,
With singing, laughing, ogling, and all that.

21

Belinda's boat has finally made it the few miles up the River Thames to Hampton Court,
one of the Queen's palaces, and to the party that waits for her there.

The scene is pretty brutal when it comes to gossip; this bunch of social cutthroats does
not play around. Pope gives us a quick glimpse of their small talk and mean comments,
interspersed with waving fans and snuff-taking.

You have probably noticed the juxtapositions Pope uses in this section, but just in case,
we'll point them out to you.

Once again (yepthere's a theme here) the poem places the high and mighty right next
to the trivial and frivolous, starting in lines 5-6, where "Britain's Statesmen" (that would
be the ministers and politicians in the British government of Pope's time) make important
decisions, like "foredooming" the fall of "Foreign Tyrants" (kind of like our government's
decision to fight against Saddam Hussein back in the early 1990s).

But look in the very next phrase of that line: what else do those politicians talk about?
The fall of "Nymphs at home"i.e. the reputations of girls like Belinda. What a bunch of
gossips those politicians are.

But notice, too, how the parallelism of that line works: "Nymphs" (attractive young
women) are placed right next to "Foreign Tyrants." Kind of associates the tyrants with
flirtatious girls (very silly), butalso associates those girls with the tyrants. Have you ever
seen a pretty girl bossing around her boyfriends or friends? Yeah, we thought so.

Another juxtaposition comes up quickly, in lines 7 and 8, where we meetbows and

curtsies, pleasethe Queen of England herself. Not Elizabeth II, the current queen, but
Ann, who reigned from 1702-1714. (You can learn more about her in the "Setting"
section.)

Pope is a little more respectful to his monarch than he was to his politicians: "Here Thou,
Great Anna! Whom three Realms obey,/ Dost sometimes Counsel takeand
sometimes Tea." Notice his very high poetic language, using "Thou" instead of "You,"
and "Dost" instead of "Do."

The contrast comes in that second line, where we see the Queen in her
palace sometimes conferring with her advisors about grand affairs of state and
sometimes just sitting and sipping a cup of tea (in Pope's day, "tea" was pronounced
"tay," so the rhyme in the couplets is very strong here as well).

Have you ever read Us magazine's "StarsThey're Just Like Us" pages? All about Brad
and Angelina going to the grocery store or Beyonc walking her dog? Queen Annejust
like us.

The last ten lines of this second foreground the silliness of the social network of nobles
and gentry who hang around the Queen's court partying, flirting, eating, and generally
making intrigue. This is Belinda's crowd, andas you're about to seethey're a pretty
mean clique.

Lines 19-100

Mean while declining from the Noon of Day,

The Sun obliquely shoots his burning Ray;
The hungry Judges soon the Sentence sign,
And Wretches hang that Jury-men may Dine;
The Merchant from th'exchange returns in Peace,
And the long Labours of the Toilette cease ---Belinda now, whom Thirst of Fame invites,
Burns to encounter two adventrous Knights,
At Ombre singly to decide their Doom;
And swells her Breast with Conquests yet to come.
Strait the three Bands prepare in Arms to join,
Each Band the number of the Sacred Nine.
Soon as she spreads her Hand, th' Aerial Guard
Descend, and sit on each important Card,
First Ariel perch'd upon a Matadore,
Then each, according to the Rank they bore;
For Sylphs, yet mindful of their ancient Race,
Are, as when Women, wondrous fond of place.
Behold, four Kings in Majesty rever'd,
With hoary Whiskers and a forky Beard;
And four fair Queens whose hands sustain a Flow'r,
Th' expressive Emblem of their softer Pow'r;
Four Knaves in Garbs succinct, a trusty Band,
22

Caps on their heads, and Halberds in their hand;

And Particolour'd Troops, a shining Train,
Draw forth to Combat on the Velvet Plain.
The skilful Nymph reviews her Force with Care;
Let Spades be Trumps, she said, and Trumps they were.
Now move to War her Sable Matadores,
In Show like Leaders of the swarthy Moors.
Spadillio first, unconquerable Lord!
Led off two captive Trumps, and swept the Board.
As many more Manillio forc'd to yield,
And march'd a Victor from the verdant Field.
Him Basto follow'd, but his Fate more hard
Gain'd but one Trump and one Plebeian Card.
With his broad Sabre next, a Chief in Years,
The hoary Majesty of Spades appears;
Puts forth one manly Leg, to sight reveal'd;
The rest his many-colour'd Robe conceal'd.
The Rebel-Knave, who dares his Prince engage,
Proves the just Victim of his Royal Rage.
Ev'n mighty Pam that Kings and Queens o'erthrow,
And mow'd down Armies in the Fights of Lu,
Sad Chance of War! now, destitute of Aid,
Falls undistinguish'd by the Victor Spade.
Thus far both Armies to Belinda yield;
Now to the Baron Fate inclines the Field.
His warlike Amazon her Host invades,
Th' Imperial Consort of the Crown of Spades.
The Club's black Tyrant first her Victim dy'd,
Spite of his haughty Mien, and barb'rous Pride:
What boots the Regal Circle on his Head,
His Giant Limbs in State unwieldy spread?
That long behind he trails his pompous Robe,
And of all Monarchs only grasps the Globe?
The Baron now his Diamonds pours apace;
Th' embroider'd King who shows but half his Face,
And his refulgent Queen, with Pow'rs combin'd,
Of broken Troops an easie Conquest find.
Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, in wild Disorder seen,
With Throngs promiscuous strow the level Green.
Thus when dispers'd a routed Army runs,
Of Asia's Troops, and Africk's Sable Sons,
23

With like Confusion different Nations fly,

In various habits and of various Dye,
The pierc'd Battalions dis-united fall,
In Heaps on Heaps; one Fate o'erwhelms them all.
The Knave of Diamonds now tries his wily Arts,
And wins (oh shameful Chance!) the Queen of Hearts.
At this, the Blood the Virgin's Cheek forsook,
A livid Paleness spreads o'er all her Look;
She sees, and trembles at th' approaching Ill,
Just in the Jaws of Ruin, and Codille.
And now, (as oft in some distemper'd State)
On one nice Trick depends the gen'ral Fate.
An Ace of Hearts steps forth: The King unseen
Lurk'd in her Hand, and mourn'd his captive Queen.
He springs to Vengeance with an eager pace,
And falls like Thunder on the prostrate Ace.
The Nymph exulting fills with Shouts the Sky,
The Walls, the Woods, and long Canals reply.

24

It's about to be twelve noon, the time when (as Pope reminds us) both working folk (like
judges and juries and merchants) and the idle rich (who mainly work at their "Toilette" or
dressing table (24) take a break for lunch.

Belinda, working the party like a pro, challenges the Baron and another young man to
"Ombre," which was a very popular card game of Pope's day, where players win by
taking tricks (much like the game of Hearts that we play today).

The deck is dealt, and as Belinda surveys her hand, a set of worried Sylphs hops onto
each of her cards to keep an eye on the action. The rest of this section describes the
card game itself, as first Belinda is winning all of the hands (45-65), and then the Baron
comes out on top (67-92). The game turns in Belinda's favor with the final trick (94-100),
and she wins.

Check out how Pope gets in just a teeny bit of social satire in the first four lines of this
section, as he describes judges and juries rushing through trials and court decisions so
that they can make it to lunch on time? "Wretches hang"yep, death sentences get
decided quickly"that Jury-men may dine" (22). Doesn't say much for the justice system
right before noon, does it?

The rest of this section of Canto III might seem confusing at first until you keep the whole
mock epic theme in mind. All true epics feature at least one amazing battle scene
(Homer's Iliad has a ton of them) where heavily-armored heroes hack away at one
another, and speak poetically while they're drowning in bloody gore.

Pope very cleverly makes the society card game into his own "battle," to keep The Rape
of the Lock as mock-epic as he can. How competitive do family card games get at your
house? You can look at this whole section (37100) as one massive extended metaphor,
where Belinda and the Baron are generals, and the cards are their armies, battling one
another.

In lines 37-44, Pope describes the card deck in splendid poetic language,
using personification to make the face cards seem like living Kings, Queens, and Jacks
commanding an army of the numbered cards.

The "Velvet Plain" in line 44 is the surface of the card-table, which at a rich society party
would have been covered in green velvet. As the card game progresses, Pope gives
each of the important cards in the deck heroic names: Belinda's Spades are
"sable Matadores" that get likened to "Moors" (in Pope's day, Islamic people from
Northern Africa); "Spadillio" (49) is the Ace of Spades and "Manillio" (51) is the two of
Spades; "Basto" (53) the Ace of Clubs, and so on. Can you follow the game as it
continues?

Lines 101124

Oh thoughtless Mortals! ever blind to Fate,

Too soon dejected, and too soon elate!
Sudden these Honours shall be snatch'd away,
And curs'd for ever this Victorious Day.
For lo! the Board with Cups and Spoons is crown'd,
The Berries crackle, and the Mill turns round.
On shining Altars of Japan they raise
The silver Lamp; the fiery Spirits blaze.
From silver Spouts the grateful Liquors glide,
And China's Earth receives the smoking Tyde.
At once they gratify their Scent and Taste,
While frequent Cups prolong the rich Repast.
Strait hover round the Fair her Airy Band;
Some, as she sip'd, the fuming Liquor fann'd,
Some o'er her Lap their careful Plumes display'd,
Trembling, and conscious of the rich Brocade.
Coffee, (which makes the Politician wise,
And see thro' all things with his half shut Eyes)
Sent up in Vapours to the Baron's Brain
New Stratagems, the radiant Lock to gain.
Ah cease rash Youth! desist e'er 'tis too late,
Fear the just Gods, and think of Scylla's Fate!
Chang'd to a Bird, and sent to flit in Air,
She dearly pays for Nisus' injur'd Hair!
25

After the card game ends with Belinda exulting in victory, the narrator of the poem gives
us a brief warning (cue more ominous music) that her happiness in won't last long. She
should not be rubbing it in so much that she won the game; she's due for a fall, and it's
coming soon.

All of the party guests gather around the coffee and tea tables, and as Belinda takes a
cup of coffee, her Sylphs flutter around her fanning the hot drink to cool it, and protecting
her dress from any spills. Meanwhile the Baron, also sipping his cup of joe, starts to
come up with an immediate plan to fulfill his desire to steal Belinda's locks of hair.

Hard to believe, but true, that coffee, tea, and hot chocolate were new and exciting
beverages in Pope's daythe Kombucha of their time. Before the European exploration
of the Americas, China, Africa, and India in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, countries
like England and France only had water, wine, and beer (kind of boring for the under-21
set, you might think, but remember there was no drinking age back then either).

When Europeans discovered the Indians, the Chinese, the Africans, and the South
Americans drinking these tasty (and caffeinated) hot beverages, you can imagine they
were quick to start sending some back home. By the time Pope was in his twenties, no
party was complete without a fancy coffee, tea, or chocolate servicewhich is what we
see described here.

Pope uses a poetic technique called periphrasis indirectly referring to coffee and tea
by using their components, attributes, or origins ("Berries crackle" are roasting coffee
beans, the "grateful liquors" are the coffee and tea, as is "China's earth" and "smoking
tyde"). All of this extra wordage contributes to make the scene as grand as possible.

Are you a coffee or tea drinker yourself? Do you find that the caffeine makes your brain
run a little faster (not a bad thing the morning before a test)? The Baron gets a little
juiced here in line 119, and starts obsessing over Belinda's locks again.

This hair fetish of his is beginning to get weird and potentially dangerous, a fact Pope
reminds us of with an allusion to Greek mythology in lines 121-124, where the narrator
warns the Baron not to follow through on his plans, by referring to the story of Scylla and
Nisus (which you can read in more detail in Book VIII of Ovid'sMetamorphoses).

Scylla was a princess, and Nisus was her father. He had a lock of purple hair that made
him invincible, and when she fell in love with a rival king, she snipped that lock so that
her lover could defeat her father in battle. Her lover was disgusted with her behavior, and
ditched her, and then the gods turned her into a seagull. The Baron had better watch
out.

Lines 125-146

But when to Mischief Mortals bend their Will,

How soon they find fit Instruments of Ill!
Just then, Clarissa drew with tempting Grace
A two-edg'd Weapon from her shining Case;
26

So Ladies in Romance assist their Knight,

Present the Spear, and arm him for the Fight.
He takes the Gift with rev'rence, and extends
The little Engine on his Finger's Ends:
This just behind Belinda's Neck he spread,
As o'er the fragrant Steams she bends her Head:
Swift to the Lock a thousand Sprights repair,
A thousand Wings, by turns, blow back the Hair,
And thrice they twitch'd the Diamond in her Ear,
Thrice she look'd back, and thrice the Foe drew near.
Just in that instant, anxious Ariel sought
The close Recesses of the Virgin's Thought;
As on the Nosegay in her Breast reclin'd,
He watch'd th' Ideas rising in her Mind,
Sudden he view'd, in spite of all her Art,
An Earthly Lover lurking at her Heart.
Amaz'd, confus'd, he found his Pow'r expir'd,
Resign'd to Fate, and with a Sigh retir'd.

27

The scheming Baron finds an ally in Belinda's friend Clarissa, who lends him a pair of
fancy scissors. Belinda, totally oblivious, has her back to the Baron as she leans forward
to take another sip of coffee. He comes up close behind and goes to snip off one of her
two locks of hair.

The Sylphs try frantically to protect the lock, by fanning it out of the way or attempting to
get Belinda's attention. She does look back three times.

But Ariel, reading her mind, discovers that she's not as empty a flirt as she seems on the
surfaceshe actually cares about someone (although the poem does not tell us who at
this point). Because of that deep emotion, the superfluous Sylphs have no power to
protect her any longer. Ariel sighs and steps back.

With friends like Clarissa, who needs enemies? You have to wonder about her motives
in loaning the Baron her scissors. The narrator isn't very clear about her relationship to
him, although we do get asimile in lines 129-130 that likens her to "Ladies in
Romance"guess we're talking King Arthur-style nowwho help their knights into
battle.

Yes, more juxtaposition. Clarissa's little scissors and a fantasy sword, which makes the
Baron into a heroic knight about to go into battle with a lock of hair? You see
the irony here?

The powerlessness of the Sylphs to protect Belinda and her hair from impending doom
brings us to one of the central mysteries of this poem: who is this "Earthly Lover" that
Ariel spies in Belinda's heart?

We know from the very beginning of Canto I that the Sylphs' job is to guard and protect
flirtatious coquettes who are nice to everyone but in love with no one (kind of like Belinda
shining on everyone equally in the boat in Canto II). Here, Belinda is suddenly not in that
category any more. But who is it that she loves? Is it the Baron? If it were, why wouldn't
the poem tell us that?

Lines 147-178

The Peer now spreads the glitt'ring Forfex wide,

T'inclose the Lock; now joins it, to divide.
Ev'n then, before the fatal Engine clos'd,
A wretched Sylph too fondly interpos'd;
Fate urg'd the Sheers, and cut the Sylph in twain,
(But Airy Substance soon unites again)
The meeting Points that sacred Hair dissever
From the fair Head, for ever and for ever!
Then flash'd the living Lightnings from her Eyes,
And Screams of Horror rend th' affrighted Skies.
Not louder Shrieks to pitying Heav'n are cast,
When Husbands or when Lap-dogs breath their last,
Or when rich China Vessels, fal'n from high,
In glittring Dust and painted Fragments lie!
Let Wreaths of Triumph now my Temples twine,
(The Victor cry'd) the glorious Prize is mine!
While Fish in Streams, or Birds delight in Air,
Or in a Coach and Six the British Fair,
As long as Atalantis shall be read,
Or the small Pillow grace a Lady's Bed,
While Visits shall be paid on solemn Days,
When numerous Wax-lights in bright Order blaze,
While Nymphs take Treats, or Assignations give,
So long my Honour, Name, and Praise shall live!
What Time wou'd spare, from Steel receives its date,
And Monuments, like Men, submit to Fate!
Steel cou'd the Labour of the Gods destroy,
And strike to Dust th' Imperial Tow'rs of Troy.
Steel cou'd the Works of mortal Pride confound,
And hew Triumphal Arches to the Ground.
What Wonder then, fair Nymph! thy Hairs shou'd feel
The conqu'ring Force of unresisted Steel?

28

29

As Ariel turns away, the Baron cuts the lock from Belinda's neck, accidentally cutting a
Sylph in half as well (although the Sylph isn't damaged by this). Belinda completely
freaks out, but the Baron gloats and brags about his triumph. The narrator closes the
Canto by telling Belinda she's been honorably defeated.

So it finally happened. The "rape of the lock." The Baron, described in Pope's heroic
language, snips off a lock of Belinda's hair. And Belindain even more heroic language
responds with "Shrieks of Horror." Massive drama. And can you see how Pope's
language emphasizes the silliness of it all?

Notice the juxtaposition of the deaths of "Husbands" and "Lap-dogs" in line 158: now, we
all love our dogs, but would you say that the death of a husband is equal to the death of
a dog?

The Baron is no better. His bragging in lines 161-170 goes way over the top. Or at least,
it seems to. Notice how (again) Pope manages to make fun of both high
society and heroic language here?

The Baron exults that his name and honor will live forever, or at least as long as
" Atalantis shall be read" and Atalantis refers to a fluffy gossip novel, a trashy
bestseller of the day, hardly a classic of Brit Lit. He's just rudely clipped a lock of hair, for
crying out loud.

Those last eight lines give Belinda some small consolation byapostrophizing the "Steel"
that Clarissa's scissors were made of, reminding us of how steel weapons brought down
the city of Troy (another epic allusion there).

If steel could do that, how could Belinda possibly have protected her lock of hair from it?
The message? Don't feel too bad about it, as there wasn't much you could have done to
save yourself. But will Belinda listen? Stay tuned