The_Rape_Of_The_Lock

The Rape Of The Lock Alexander Pope has long been considered one of the greatest satirists that English literary tradition has ever seen. His methods of satire are original and unique from those of the traditional Augustan poet, and his comments on the ideals and morals of his contemporaries have provided us with a valuable insight into Augustan lifestyles. Alexander Pope’s ‘The Rape of the Lock’ has its foundation in an amorous joke played by the young Lord Petre on Miss Arabella Fermor. The ensuing rift between the two prominent aristocratic families caused a mutual acquaintance to approach Pope, with a view to healing the estrangement with the production of a humorous poem. The poem first appeared in1712 in a two-canto form, a mere 334 lines, but was revised by Pope and reappeared in its current five-canto form in 1714. This later version, which differed only slightly to the definitive 1736 edition, features elements which confirmed the status of the piece as one of the greats of the Augustan age. This final version includes a ‘Dedicatory Letter’ to Miss Fermor, which serves the purpose of excusing the previous ‘imperfect’ draft, with which the lady was less than pleased, as well pope, rape, lock, alexander, sylphs, london, ed, books, poem, ltd, epic, canto, 1989, thomas, ct, augustan, satire, one, line, pope’s, supernatural, society, sangam, important, yet, sangem, lock’, comment, form, beings, whilst, trivial, oxford, iii