The Rape of the Lock Main Text
What dire Offence from am’rous Causes springs,
What mighty Contests rise from trivial Things,
I sing — This Verse to C——, 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?
Oh say what stranger Cause, yet unexpl...
Read The Rape of the Lock Main Text
The Rape of the Lock Summary
A Small Joke Grows Big: The poem begins with a mock-epic tone. The poet, Alexander Pope, dedicates the poem to Arabella Fermor. This poem tells a funny and small story. But the poet writes it in a big way. A young boy named the Baron cuts a lock of hair. The hair belongs to a rich girl named Belinda. The boy does this for fun. He thinks it is just a small joke. But Belinda becomes very angry. Her...
Expand The Rape of the Lock Summary
The Rape of the Lock Themes
Trivial Things Made Big: This poem illustrates how a minor matter can escalate into a significant issue. A boy cuts a girl’s hair for fun. However, the girl cries, becomes angry, and seeks revenge. Her friends support her. The poet makes fun of this. He compares the silly event to a big war. This teaches us not to take small things too seriously. Sometimes, people fight over things that are not im...
Expand The Rape of the Lock Themes
The Rape of the Lock Character
Main Characters
Belinda: Belinda is the main character of the poem. She is a wealthy, young, and very beautiful lady. She goes to Hampton Court to enjoy a day with friends. Many men admire her beauty. She feels proud of her looks, but the Baron secretly cuts off her lock of hair.
Ariel: Ariel is Belinda’s guardian sylph (an airy spirit). He appears in her dream and says his job is to protect her b...
Expand The Rape of the Lock Character
Notes (12)
- Comment on the Opening of “The Rape of the Lock.”
- How does Belinda perform her toilette with the help of her Sylphs?
- Significance of the title The Rape of the Lock.
- How Did the Poet Finally Console Belinda?
- Discuss Pope's The Rape of Lock as a Mock Epic
- Sketch the Character of Belinda.
- The Rape of the Lock as a Social Satire.
- Supernatural Elements in The Rape of the Lock
- How Did Belinda Win the Game of Ombre in Hampton Court?
- Umbriel's Journey to the Cave of Spleen
- How does Belinda wake up from her bed in the morning?
- Comment on the moral message of the poem “The Rape of the Lock.”