Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock is a mock epic and, therefore, deliberately ludicrous in its presentation of upper-class follies and foibles.

To be ludicrous is to be absurd, to be ridiculous, to cause laughter that is mocking or derisive. This is exactly what Pope wants to show about his characters and their actions and the response he wants to draw from his readers.

Think, for instance, about the central conflict of the poem. The Baron cuts off a lock of Belinda's hair, and it seems like the world will come crashing down. The “rape of the lock” is ludicrous, of course, but Pope presents it with mock seriousness so that it can stand for the whole ludicrous lifestyle and concerns of the upper class.

We can see more ridiculousness in Belinda's beauty routine, which is presented as a religious ritual. The mock battle at the card table is also completely ludicrous as are the spirits that surround Belinda but fail to protect her. The poem's ending is laughable, too, because Belinda finds consolation that her stolen lock of hair will become a constellation of stars.

Over five well-constructed and hilarious cantos, Pope presents the ludicrous in the most delightful manner as he pokes his audience to recognize the ludicrous in his characters and in themselves.