The Rape of the Lock Questions on Canto 1
The Rape of the Lock
Significance and Context of "The Rape of the Lock"
"The Rape of the Lock" by Alexander Pope is a mock epic that satirizes a trivial incident involving the cutting of a lock of hair from Arabella Fermor by Lord Petre, which caused a feud between their...
The Rape of the Lock
Explain the line "here files of pins extend their shining rows" from The Rape of the Lock.
In "The Rape of the Lock," the line "here files of pins extend their shining rows" describes Belinda preparing for the day by arranging her hair with pins. This imagery is part of a larger depiction...
The Rape of the Lock
The background and explanation of Canto 1 in Pope's "The Rape of the Lock."
Canto 1 of Pope's "The Rape of the Lock" introduces the protagonist, Belinda, and sets the scene in a fashionable society. It begins with Belinda receiving a dream from Ariel, a sylph, who warns her...
The Rape of the Lock
How many sylphs guard Belinda in The Rape of the Lock?
In "The Rape of the Lock," Belinda is guarded by 50 sylphs, magical spirits tasked with protecting her petticoat. Ariel, her guardian sylph, warns her of impending danger but is unaware of the...
The Rape of the Lock
What two "motives" questions does Pope want the Muse to answer in "The Rape of the Lock"?
In "The Rape of the Lock," Pope's two "motives" questions ask what strange motive could compel a well-bred lord to assault a gentle belle, and what stranger cause could make a gentle belle reject a...
The Rape of the Lock
In "The Rape of the Lock" by Alexander Pope, is it the maid or nymphs who assist the lady in dressing up in Canto 1?
In Canto 1, the maid, Betty, physically assists Belinda in dressing. However, the sylphs, led by Ariel, are credited with orchestrating the process, either by guiding Betty's actions or symbolically...
The Rape of the Lock
Where is this line from Pope's "The Rape of the Lock" taken from, what are its key points, and what does it mean?
This line from Pope's "The Rape of the Lock" is found in Canto One, line 113. It is part of Ariel's warning to Belinda in her dream. Ariel, her guardian Sylph, cautions her about an impending "dread...