The Rape of the Lock
Pope turned a trivial incident — a man snipping a lock of a woman's hair — into a perfect mock-epic that skewered the vanity of the English upper class.
“What mighty contests rise from trivial things.”
Why It Matters
Pope turned a trivial incident — a man snipping a lock of a woman's hair — into a perfect mock-epic that skewered the vanity of the English upper class. It is the gold standard for satire in verse: elegant, vicious, and technically flawless. Every satirist who uses grandiose form to mock trivial subjects is working in Pope's shadow.
The 
Take
Personal reviewEssay on criticism 5- thought I was fantastic with great arguments and awesomely wittyRape of the lock 4- some of the aristocratic satire was tough to parse but with some help, pretty funny and interesting Essay on man 3- one paragraph I love, the rest seems a little bit trite Eloisa to Abelard 4- good juxtaposition of the holy and profane
Notable Quotes
“If to her share some female errors fall, look on her face, and you'll forget 'em all.”
“Charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul.”