Epic Convention of the Rape of the Lock

Presented by : M.Altaf Presented to: Ma’am Mahwish Department of English

Outline What is Epic and mock Epic? The Epic Conventions High formal diction Invocation of the Muse “Machinery” (i.e. gods or supernatural figures) Gods speak to hero in a dream Battle scenes Descent into the underworld Advice of the general to the troops Descriptions of Soldiers Preparing for Battle Descriptions of Heroic Deeds Description of a Great Sea Voyage Catalog of the armies Rise of the dead into the heavens

What is Epic and mock Epic? Epic: “A long narrative poem about the actions of a great person.” Or “A long narrative poem which deals in a grand diction with

beautiful themes and tells heroic deeds.” Mock Epic: “It is a parody of an epic.” Or “A long narrative poem which deals in a grand diction with

trivial/ordinary themes and produces laughter.”

High formal diction The Rape of the Lock is a mock epic Written in heroic couplets rhymed in

every two lines Iambic pentameter Ten syllables in each line Alternate with stressed and unstressed syllables Figures of Speech The main figure of speech in The Rape of the Lock is hyperbole Examples of hyperbole include the following:

Sol through white Curtains shot a tim'rous Ray,And ope'd those Eyes that must eclipse the Day.Hyberbole: Belinda's eyes are so bright that they outshine a ray of sunlight  

Other figure of speech: Alliteration Anaphora Metaphor Metonymy Simile

Invocation of the MuseWhen a writer asked for help, he was said to

be“invoking the muse.” In "The Rape of the Lock," Pope does not invoke a goddess; instead, he invokes his friend, John Caryll

who had asked Pope to write a literary work focusing on an event (the snipping of a lock of hair) that turned the members of two families the Petres and the Fermors into bitter enemies. Caryll thought that poking fun at the incident would reconcile the families by showing them how trivial the incident was.

“Machinery” ( gods or supernatural figures)

In classical epics God, gods and goddesses were the supernatural elements but here this part is performed by tiny spirits like; sylphs, nymphs, gnomes, and salamanders etc. The Rape of the Lock, Belinda was helped by inhabitants of the air such as fairies, gnomes, nymphs, sylphs and salamanders. Belinda receives special attention from the sylphs.

Conti. These magical creatures in the poem did not help her in

battle but helped Belinda look beautiful and respectable the whole day. Each sylph assigns themselves to protect her hair, dress, makeup, jewelries, her lap dog Shock and most importantly her petticoat for Ariel have "saw, sadly, some dread event impend. Ariel did warn Belinda beforehand but she forgot all about it the minute she saw her "Billet-doux". So now it is up to them to protect her appearance and her honor.

Gods speak to hero in a dreamAriel, the sylph who watches over

Belinda sent this dream to warn her beware of man.

BEWARE OF MAN!

Battle scenes In The Rape of the Lock, Belinda's game of ombre

with her friends was portrayed as battle by Pope. The cards where depicted as warriors and words such as troops, combat, war, invade and armies where used by Pope to describe and intensify the tension during a game of ombre between Belinda and her aristocratic friends who took the game seriously. Even the magical creatures get themselves involve in the game so that Belinda wins the game.

Descent into the underworld

A gnome named Umbriel descends to the Underworld on Belinda’s behalf and obtains a bag of complaints and a flask of tears from the Queen of Spleen. With these magical gifts, he means to comfort poor Belinda. A legendary creature that guards the earth's resources underground.

Advice of the general to the troops

Ariel, the divine angel guesses some evil to happen on Belinda and engages his troop of Sylphs to guard Belinda’s properties and honour. An brave youth Robert ,Lord Petre is determined to steal Belinda’s tempting ‘Locks’ of hair.

Descriptions of Soldiers Preparing for Battle

In an epic poem a hero will get well prepared for a great battle by armoring himself with chain mail, shield, sword, axes, daggers, bow and arrows. These weapons and armor will not only protect a hero but also make his enemy fear of him. Belinda on the other hand armors herself with beautiful brocade, make-ups, Arabian perfumes, and glittering Indian jewelries and uses combs and pins made out of elephant tusks and tortoise shell in order to face the upper-class society every day.

Conti. In The Rape of the Lock Pope describes

Belinda preparing herself with combs and pins–with "Puffs, Powders, Patches"–noting that Beauty puts on all its Arms."

After cutting her Lock She attacks the Baron with snuff and hair-pin etc.

Descriptions of Heroic Deeds

Pope describes the "heroic act" of Belinda and the Baron during a card game called Ombre which involves three players and a deck of 40 cards.

Description of a Great Sea Voyage

In The Rape of the Lock Belinda travels up the Thames in a boat.

The guests board a boat to the Palace Harbor Court

Catalog of the armies

In The Rape of the Lock, Belinda's game of ombre with her friends was portrayed as battle by Pope and words which they used during game were armies.

Rise of the dead into the heavens

It is then discovered that the lock of hair has risen to the heavens, only to become a shining star

Thank You