This document presents an analysis of Alexander Pope's poem "The Rape of the Lock" as a mock epic. It defines epic and mock epic poetry, compares their characteristics, and identifies 12 ways in which Pope's poem follows epic conventions through trivial or mundane themes, such as focusing on a card game instead of a battle. The analysis concludes that Pope skillfully uses the mock-heroic form to highlight the triviality of small matters by contrasting them with the grandeur of epics, making "The Rape of the Lock" a successful example of a mock epic.

1. FACULTY: Ms. FOUZIA MANSOOR
1

2. "The Rape of the Lock"
A Mock Epic Poem.
A Brief Presentation.
Prepared by : Students of KIU Skardu Campus M.A English
literature-1 2015 (Group-1)
2

3. Group members:
1. Inayatullah sheikh
2. Irshad Hussain
3. Kaneez Fatima
4. Hina Nawaz
5. Rabia seemi
6. Haseena
3

4. Contents:
Definition of ‘Epic’
Definition of ‘Mock Epic’
Comparison between Epic and Mock Epic
Features of Epic in" The Rape of the Lock”
Conclusion
4

5. 1
EPIC and its Characteristics
5

6. Epic:
 “A long narrative poem about the
actions of a great person.”
Or
 “A long narrative poem which deals in a
grand diction with sublime themes and
tells heroic deeds.”
6

7. Epic Vs Mock Epic:
Similarities:
Epic Mock Epic
1.Starts with introducing its theme,
2.Afterwards the poet invokes God for aid,
3.Its diction is grand,
4.It has supernatural machinery,
5.Journey on water (Voyage),
6.Long speeches,
7

8. 2
MOCK EPIC
Comparison between epic and
mock epic
8

9. Mock Epic:
 “It is a parody of an epic.”
Or
 “A long narrative poem which deals in a
grand diction with trivial/ordinary
themes and produces laughter.”
9

10. Dissimilarities:
Epic Mock Epic
1.It consist of several
volumes.
Much shorter than true
epics.
2. Serious, Real mock, parody
3. Its theme is sublime. Its theme is trivial.
4. Hero & characters are
of upper class.
They are common
people.
5. It has epic similes. It has mock-epic similes.
10

11. 3
Features of ‘Epic & Mock
Epic' in
11

12. 1) Begins with theme:
 As John Milton starts “Paradise Lost” by stating its
sublime theme very firstly.
o “Of Man’s first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree, ……………..
……………….., till one Greater Man
Restore us, and the blissful seat.”
 Alexander pope too, commence with the subject
matter of his poem in the very first lines.
“What dire offence from amorous causes springs,1
What mighty contests rise from trivial things,2”
12

13. 2) Invocation to Muse:
 As Edmund Spenser craves the aid of Holy
Muse into “The Faerie Queen”.
“Help then, O Holy Virgin! Chief of nine,
Thy weaker novice……….
O help thou my weak wit, and sharpen my
dull tongue.”
 Pope also invokes the holy spirit.
“I sing-this verse to Caryll, Muse! Is due:3
This , ev’n Belinda may vouchsafe to
view:4”.
13

14. 3. Hero’s physique & weapons:
In ‘Paradise Lost’ Satan and in ‘The Faerie Queen’
the Red Cross Knight clad armours and put
weapons like; heavy shields, swords and spears
upon their strong and mighty stature,
While
In ‘The Rape of the Lock’ lean Belinda decks
herself with combs, hairpins, powders and
different sort of ornaments.
14

15. 4. Parody between lines:
“The powers gave eat, and granted
half his prayer,
The rest the winds dispersed in empty air.”
Which is parody of following lines of the Aeneid:
“Apollo heard, and granting half his pray’r,
Shuffled in winds the rest, and toss’d in empty air.”
15

16. 5. Voyage:
Epic has an unsafe voyage. But here in this poem
Belinda takes a comfortable journey on water
without any tension and peril. She travels up the
Thames in a boat to join Hampton Court to play
cards embellishing her attractively.
16

17. 6. Underworld Journey:
To take an underworld journey
is also important event. Like
supernatural beings in classical
epics, a gnome descends to the
underworld and fetches a bag of sighs and a bottle
of tears from Spleen, in order to please and
comfort poor Belinda.
“Repair’d to search the gloomy cave of Spleen.
Swifts on his sooty pinions flits the gnome"
17

18. 7. Episodes:
An epic poem must contain episodes also. Here
Pope has introduced the episodes of Omber(a
game of cards) which suggests the mighty battle
and the cards imply the soldiers described in
great detail.
18

19. 8. Conflicts:
Then there is the battle between
the lords and ladies just like the
battles in epic poetry. But in true
mock-heroic style this battle is fought with fans
and snuff instead of with swords and spears.
Just the opposite to the mighty battles that we
find in in “The Faerie Queene” Red Cross
Knight’s battle with the monster Error
19

20. 9. Sacrifice:
 It is also an epic tradition to sacrifice to the
gods before battle.
 Baron prays to the gods and kindles a fire with
trophies and the love letters of his former
beloved then heaves passionate sighs three
times to add fuel to the fire. In such a way he
sacrifices all his valuables in order to receive
the lock of Belinda.
“And all the trophies of his former loves;
with tender billet-doux he lights the pyre,
and breath three times amorous to rise the fire”,
20

21. 10.Similes:
Like Homer Spenser and Milton Pope uses simile
Ridiculously. Example,
 In canto-2 he compares Belinda's eyes a
radiant lightening sun.
 In some other places Belinda is ironically
compared with ‘Queen Dido’ and ‘Helen’.
 The funniest of all is the comparison between
Belinda’s gown/skirt with the mighty shield of
epic heroes.
21

22. 11. Supernatural Machinery:
 In classical epics God, gods and goddesses
were the supernatural elements but here this
part is performed by tiny spirits like; sylphs,
nymphs, gnomes, and salamanders etc.
22

23. 12.Ending of epic:
Epic has a happy end for their protagonist and
disappointment and distress for antagonist,
Pope, wisely likewise concludes the poem with a
mocking comfort to Belinda that:
"This lock, the Muse shall consecrate to fame,
And mid'st the stars inscribe Belinda's name!"
23

24. “From back discussion, it becomes clear that
Pope follows the epic conventions of late
bards very minutely but for trivial theme to
make the petty things more ridiculous. He
employs the mock-heroic form, not to mock
the epic form, but to show the triviality of
mean things by contrasting them with great
things. This is the true mock-heroic style. So
it can be undoubtedly said that the
poem “The Rape of the Lock” is a
successful mock-epic.”
24