22 August, 2022
The Rape of the Lock
∆ According to you, who is the protagonist of the poem Clarissa or Belinda? Why? Give your answer with logical reasons.
→ The Rape of the Lock was written by Alexander Pope and first published in 1712, then reworked and published again in 1714. The poem is a mock-epic that satirizes the upper-class in London at the time.The story focuses on the central character, Belinda, whose lock of hair is cut off at a social gathering.
According to me Clarissa is the protagonist of the poem 'Rape of the Lock'. A lady who lends the Baron her scissors to chop off Belinda’s lock of hair. She later finds the whole incident frustratingly trivial and delivers a speech about how physical beauty is ultimately fleeting and that instead women should concentrate on being as morally upright as they possibly can. Looks might prove attractive to the eyes, Clarissa declares, but virtue is most attractive to the soul. While her speech obviously makes good sense, it is typical of a more traditional style of poem which would be primarily concerned with didacticism, or simply telling the reader what the moral is.Clarissa’s name, meaning “clarity,” hints that the reader might do well to take her wise advice.Clarissa reminds her:
‘How vain are all these Glories, all our Pains,
Unless good Sense preserve what Beauty gains’.
To Clarissa, a man is a fool to desire a woman for beauty alone, and a woman is a fool to demonstrate nothing but beauty in order to attract him. Though her behaviour may seem cruel, even abhorrent, she is at least sensible enough to call a spade a spade. Clarissa concludes: ‘Charms strike the Sight, but Merit wins the Soul’.
∆ What is beauty? Write your views about it.
→ Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder. Beauty is everywhere. In the face of a loved one, the delicacy of a flower, a pets love, the blue of the sky, the ocean in all its moods. Beauty can be just in a gentle word or touch when one is in need of some thoughtfulness.
And another thing is that beauty is all around us, in nature and in nurture. A small child, a fragrant flower, a cheeky animal or a powerful one, a sleek porpoise in the ocean or a sea urchin delicately walking along the rocks. As far as most humans are concerned I believe that beauty comes from within - if you are happy and contented with yourself, then your smile will radiate this happiness and your words will bring comfort to others. So, this is my point of view of 'Beauty'.
∆ Find out a research paper on "The Rape of the Lock". Give the details of the paper and write down in brief what it says about the Poem by Alexander Pope.
→ This article intends to study Alexander Popes "The Rape of the Lock" from a psychological point of view with emphasis on the myth of rape and the symbolic connotations of the rape. In the fancy world of sylphs, gnomes, and nymphs, there are two forces of superego that challenge the power of ego :one representing tradition/art and the other functioning as the good sense. It is through the clash between these two forces that Popes protagonist takes her journey to the wishes of id. Despite the sociological interpretations of the poem, the writer wishes to prove that Popes poem is a masterpiece not for its mock-heroic style nor for its satiric and moral purposes. "The Rape of the Lock" is rather a deep portrayal of human nature in the stream of works that continue the tradition of passion vs. purity.→ Research paper on "The Rape of the Lock"
Pope used mock epic style to make his satire powerful. The Rape of the Lock is its best example. As we know that the theme of this poem is the cutting of a lock of a lady’s hair. It is a trivial theme, no doubt. There is nothing heroic in it. But Pope has given this trivial theme the dignity and exaltation and epic treatment. To present this trivial theme Pope has employed nearly all the important elements of epic. Here we find invocation, episodes, supernatural machinery and grand style.
∆ Write your views about the significance of hair. Is it symbolic?
→ Hair is an outward and very visible expression of you and your personality. It's also one of the first things people notice about you because to looking at your face, which everyone does first, means looking at your hair to. Others size you up at first impression by your look including hairstyle/ haircut.
Hair is important in general because just like every other part of the body, you have to take care of it if you want it to look nice. It’s not an essential organ, but it’s noticeable and therefore critical to appearance. No matter how you feel about it, or even whether or not you have any, hair (or lack thereof) will define your look. It’s also the one part of your body that you can change as many times as you want without any major physical repercussions.
Everybody has different reasons about why hair is important or not. Some people place religious or ceremonial value to it, others are more appearance-based, and some just don’t care.
Of all the elements of the human body, hair has been one of the most well-developed symbols. It has been the subject of a variety of activities to which many meanings have been assigned. A specific hairstyle, its shape, length, weave or color in different cultures have meant belonging to particular social groups or determining economic or social status.
Thank you...
