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Example research essay topic: Alexander Pope And His Part 2 - 2,407 words

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... the petty (the single hair) and the grand (Mans Imperial Race) makes the reader realize that the former is very real but the second premise is debatable. The poems form clearly categorizes it as a mock-epic which closely resembles the classical epic, having the same central concerns, but the approach is satirical and humorous rather than earnest. It is without a doubt an indication of how lightly the treatment is yet the same light treatment makes the impact is more pronounced, valid and compelling.

The subject which is a trivial one -- - social life of the elites in the 18 th Century English Court -- - is described and narrated in epic terminology thus even more down-playing the importance of this particular social dalliance. The poem is not a mockery of the established poetic form of the classical era but rather a ridicule of a society that fails to see and distinguish the trivialities from the essentials in their daily lives; whose values have lost all proportion (the trivial is handled with the gravity and solemnity that ought to be accorded to truly important issues). Pope's mock-heroic treatment in The Rape of the Lock tried to expose society's pettiness by casting it against the grandeur of the traditional epic subjects and the bravery and fortitude of epic heroes; thus, magnifying the inconsequentiality and insignificance of it all. The resulting contrast between the overblown epic language and the triviality of the subject makes for mocking, ironic humor which clearly characterized a mock-epic. Most critics of the English literature tagged this specific Pope masterpiece as one if not the most outstanding example of a mock-epic ever written in the history of English language. Pope's use of the mock-epic genre is intricate and exhaustive.

One can notice it the moment the opening of the poem is read for it establishes the mock-heroic style. The subjects of love and war, both conventional elements of an epic, plus the inclusion of an invocation to the muse (although in this case, the historical John Call who commissioned the poem) are elements that strengthen the mock-epic voice Pope wanted to use. The second line of the first canto (What mighty contests rise from trivial things), resolutely validates in explicit terms what the first line already suggests: the "am " rous causes" the poem describes are not of that grand love classical heroes talk about and get killed for but rather represents a trivialized and petty version of that emotion. Pope also made use of the epic battle imagery (III: 125 - 132) to describe a small pair of ladies's censors as the ultimate weapon for conquest and at the same time introducing Clarissa, the maiden who harbors great affections for the knight (the Baron), which added the element of romance (very basic for classic epics) strengthening the mock-epic prominence of the poem.

The romantic aspect is further invoked by the image of a fair maiden arming / assisting her knight for battle (III: 27 - 32). However, in this case, Clarissa is arming the Baron -- not with a real weapon, but with a pair of sewing scissors. The magnitude given to this incident clearly parodies the farcical nature of the whole situation and the "contests" Pope alludes to will prove to be "mighty" only in an ironic sense. Particular attributes of the mock-epic variety can easily be detected in other (and various) parts of the Rape of the Lock [i. e.

invocations for the muse and deities I: 3 - 6; II: 35 - 46; II: 73 - 76; descriptions of armor I: 129 - 140; the three attempts to cut the lock of Belindas hair (III: 37); ritual preparations II: 121 - 128; III: 27 - 32; a sea Voyage in the River Thames (II: 47 - 52); battles I: 101 - 102; III: 25 - 100; V: 75 - 112; the three attempts to cut the lock of Belindas hair (III: 37) ]. The Rape of the Lock makes use of almost every element in the contemporary scene to conjure some image from epic tradition; these pieces are intricately wrought together in a smooth and seamless shift that makes the poem surprisingly serious (it was able to impart its theme) without diverging from being delightfully charming and comical. The daily womans routine becomes an intense religious ritual; run of the mill cosmetics, clothing, and jewelry substitute for armor and weapons (II: 125 - 140). The cutting off of a lock of hair (III: 132 - 153) becomes a conquest and the ensuing incidents: first there was the card game (III: 25 - 100) then the scuffle at the end (V: 75 - 86) which all become battles to be won.

Every detail is described in high drama appropriate and fitting for serious battles. The pompous and grandiose depiction of the games and trivial altercations in terms of warfare make Rape of the Lock a convincing mock-epic poem. Pope employed a highfalutin rhetoric style which oftentimes marks a pompous, high-flown society to emphasize the trivialities he would like to unfold. The linguistic style is well-suited for a narrative that would like to show readers the excesses and overkill a society usually accord to something trifle by the use of such exalted and lofty rhetoric.

A good illustration of this is Belindas description: Not with more glories, in th' ethereal plain, The sun first rises o'er the purpled main, Than, issuing forth, the rival of his beams Launch'd on the bosom of the silver Thames. II: 1 - 4 It may not be disputable that she is beautiful but to place her beauty in equal footing with that of the suns ray of life makes it both witty as well as hilarious considering the fact that the situation hardly calls for it. Also very effective is the combination of the abstract with the concrete in a single couplet Think what an equipage thou hast in air, And view with scorn two pages and a chair. I: 45 - 46 which presents a very clear picture of what the author wants to convey -- - the abstract can magnify the insignificance of the concrete or vice versa.

Pope combination use of the Miltonian rhetoric with upper class English slang (II: 17 - 18) further reiterates that the use of opposite poles will merely underline the duality of how the people and the world operate. Other paired contraries: 'mighty-trivial, ' 'heroic-effete, ' 'primitive-sophisticated, ' 'antique-contemporary, ' 'masculine-feminine, ' 'principled-opportunistic, ' 'dramatic-historic' add more meaning beyond the single incident involving the lock of hair. Pope took advantage of the poetic license writers are permitted to adopt. One was to alter the normal format of the word to fit it into verse form -- - the three syllable word amorous was reduced into a two syllable. Sentences were also inverted (see II: 9, 11 & 13) to make the sentence appear particularly "complete" while at the same time, leading the reader to the fact that the poem is a joke.

The use of figurative language abounds in the poem, foremost of which is the use of hyperbole. It is the exaggeration of the ordinary and the commonplace to make them appear extraordinary and spectacular and yet emphasizes the insignificance and meaninglessness of it: Belinda's eyes are described to be so bright that they outshine a ray of sunlight (I: 3 - 4); she is so beautiful and with her wondrous locks so inviting -- she can bring mankind to ruin with nothing but desire for her (II: 19 - 20) are just but some of the hyperbole in the poem. Pope also employed antithesis: balancing of one term against another for emphasis or stylistic effectiveness. The hungry judges soon the sentence sign, And wretches hang that jury-men may dine. III: 21 - 22 Line 22 clearly set the discrepancy between two situations where one group of men reaps the rewards from the downfall of the other.

As with the classic epic, personification is also lavishly used in the Rape of the Lock attributing human characteristics to inanimate objects to emphasize the epic-like tone of the poem. Anaphora, the repetition that occurs when the first word or set of words in one sentence, clause, or phrase is / are repeated at or very near the beginning of successive sentences, clauses, or phrases; repetition of the initial word (s) over successive phrases or clauses (i. e. II: 30) and Alliteration, the repetition of identical or similar consonant sounds, normally at the beginnings of words (I: 101 - 102) were employed to render much color and meaning to the subject of the mock-epic poem. An Essay on Man (1734) Alexander Pope's long philosophical poem, "The Essay on Man", examines the optimistic and widely accepted 18 th-century ideas about the world and man's place in it. It is an attempt to rationalize justify the ways of God to man with the use of Philosophy.

More than any other work, it popularized and affirmed Enlightenment view throughout England and the rest of Europe. The essay, written in heroic couplets, comprises four epistles. Pope began work on it in 1729; the first three appeared in 1733 although they were finished in 1731, the fourth epistle was published the following year (1734) and it was only in 1735 that Pope admits to its authorship. Although called an essay, Pope wrote his "Essay on Man" in rhyming verse taking into account the fact that back in the eighteenth century, it was not so strange to do so.

Secondly, Pope also stated that he has reasons why he wrote his essay in such a manner because. He believe that "principles, maxims, or precepts so written, both strike the reader more strongly at first, and are more easily retained by him afterwards. " And that he, as a poet could express himself "more shortly this way than in prose itself. " (Pope in The Poetry of Allusion) Spattered throughout Pope's work are references to God and His great domain which is not so surprising knowing that he is a Catholic and his works are dominated by his experiences as a religiously discriminated individual. Pope started his epistle with questions about the fruitlessness of life. Then continue to say that man has no choice because it is a given and therefore man must keep his eyes open and pay attention to what is happening around and do everything in his power to sort through the mighty maze which is the scene of man. Man is meant to go through this network of complexities so he can understand everything around him, see the ties and strong connections and "nice dependencies" of things and accept that all things have bearings to each other. Pope caution man of presumptuousness.

Man has to understand that his talents are limited and that cannot immediately figure out all of the mysteries with which the world presented him. The theme which runs throughout the whole poem is developed in this part. Pope emphasizes that Man is dependent on nature as nature is dependent on him and that they are all part of a larger setting. But man does not seem to see all these; he does not seem to understand that life and nature is one complete existence: "vast chain of being" everything "beast, bird, fish and insect; " changing the balance means altering and maybe destroying the whole.

The second Epistle opened as much as the first focusing on the function of man in the world and the duties he has to perform during his brief interlude between birth and death here on earth. He gave a picture that man will likely experience a "chaos of thought and passion, all census'd" as he finds that he is the "Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all" in this world. Pope concludes that for man to understand his existence, he has to "a proper study of mankind; " and in the process try to know himself. In his third Epistle, Pope returns to his ever present argument: everything in nature is natural; man is part of nature.

He draws the picture of how all things are dependent on one and the other; that the attraction of each one is unvarying and continuous down even to "single atoms. " In the final analysis, Pope was saying that everything is held in the balance, suspended (it seems) between the forces that attract and repulse. The last Epistle on the Essay of Man deals with the subject of happiness. Pope paints a picture of happiness as something abstract, something that is quite different from one to the other. It all depends on the person -- - "good, pleasure, ease, content! Whatever thy name. " In the end, he concluded that whatever form happiness may take, it will always be found in nature. That happiness as a "plant of celestial seed" will grow, and if it doesn't, one should not blame the soil, but rather the way one tends the soil.

Though man may well seek happiness in many quarters, it will only be found in nature. Man should avoid extremes. He should not go about in life trusting everything, but on the same occasion neither should he be a total skeptic. Works Cited Brower, Reuben A. Alexander Pope: The Poetry of Allusion. Oxford University Press, London, 1986.

Cody, David. Alexander Pope: A Brief Biography. Victorian Web: Before Victoria Selected Authors from the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. English Department, Hartwick College. July 2000. 15 Dec 2007 < web pope / bio .

html>. Goldsmith, Next M. Alexander Pope: The Evolution of a Poet. Ashgate Publishing Company, Burlington, VT, U. S. A. , 2002.

Hunt, John Dixon, ed. Pope: The Rape of the Lock: a Casebook. Macmillan, London, 1968. Johnson, Samuel. "Life of Pope" in Johnson's Lives of the Poets: A Selection, edited by J. P. Hardy.

Oxford University Press, London, 1971. Leavis, F. R. Revaluation. Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, 1972. "Literary Devices. " The American Rhetoric. 16 Dec 2007. < web figures / anaphora . htm>.

Mack, Maynard. The Garden and the City. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 1969. The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, 5 th ed. Oxford University Press, London, 1999. Pope, Alexander.

Complete Poetical Works, edited by Herbert Davis. Oxford University Press, London, 1989. Selected Poetry by Alexander Pope, edited by Pat Rodgers. Oxford University Press, Cary, North Carolina, U.

S. A. , 1998.


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