“The Rape of the Lock” is a classic example of the mock-epic form, in which trivial events are narrated in epic verse style with the effect of making them seem even more trivial. Here Pope exhibits his mastery of the heroic couplet, which consists of rhymed pairs of iambic pentameter lines (lines of ten syllables each, alternating stressed and unstressed syllables). Note that Pope’s couplets do not fall into strict iambs, however.
In this poem Pope underscores the absurdity of high society life in England, but takes particular pains to mock female vanity. The “rape” in question is the cutting of a lock of hair from a woman’s head, which sets off an Odyssey of drawing room commotion.
listen to Canto One Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock.” This audio book is courtesy of Eighteenth Century Audio, a wonderful site with lots of high quality recordings.
