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The Rape of the Lock

by Alexander Pope

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The Rape of the Lock

Alexander Pope's "The Rape of the Lock" is a satirical mock-epic that critiques 18th-century upper-class English society by highlighting its vanity, superficiality, and obsession with trivial...

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The Rape of the Lock

In "The Rape of the Lock," Alexander Pope uses literary devices like metaphors to satirize the trivialities of high society. For example, he compares a stolen lock of hair to a heroic epic,...

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The Rape of the Lock

Alexander Pope uses epic conventions and stylistic elements in "The Rape of the Lock" to critique society by employing grandiose language and classical references to mock the trivialities of the...

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The Rape of the Lock

In "And Betty's prais'd for labours not her own," Alexander Pope satirizes society's superficiality by illustrating how Belinda is praised for her beauty, which is actually the result of her...

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The Rape of the Lock

The elaborate descriptions of weapons and battle in "The Rape of the Lock" parody real epic battles by substituting them with social conflicts. Belinda's beauty and vanity, along with her petticoats,...

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The Rape of the Lock

In "The Rape of the Lock," the card game is foreshadowed as a metaphorical battlefield in lines 29-54. The sylph warns Belinda in a dream about the dangers she faces, likening the card table to a...

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The Rape of the Lock

Canto 3 of Alexander Pope's "The Rape of the Lock" parodies epic elements by using a heightened writing style, formal poetic structure, and impressive settings. The style is elevated and dramatic,...

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