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Mock Epic

Pope was interested in classical forms of writing but found the epic form too demanding. This led him to write "The Rape of the Lock" as a mock epic instead of a true epic. As a mock epic, it contrasts a trivial subject (a young woman having her lock of hair cut off) with a grand heroic style normally used in epics. This creates satire and humor by making trivial daily activities seem epic. The poem successfully employs the mock heroic style through its contrast of small matters with a serious grand treatment.

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M Ans Ali
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473 views1 page

Mock Epic

Pope was interested in classical forms of writing but found the epic form too demanding. This led him to write "The Rape of the Lock" as a mock epic instead of a true epic. As a mock epic, it contrasts a trivial subject (a young woman having her lock of hair cut off) with a grand heroic style normally used in epics. This creates satire and humor by making trivial daily activities seem epic. The poem successfully employs the mock heroic style through its contrast of small matters with a serious grand treatment.

Uploaded by

M Ans Ali
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Mock Epic Poem

The age of the pope was obsessed with the classical forms of writing. Pope’s own genius
was not congenial to the epic mode which demanded a absorbing mind. Thus, pope was not
able to carry out his desire of writing an epic. However this poem of the Pope does not show
any “frustration” but it is a masterpiece of Mock heroic vein. The rape of the lock is a unique
creation for his brilliance.

Mock epic form:


The contrast between the trivial subject and heightened style gives
ironic point to the satire involved and gives rise to laughter.

The rape of the lock as a Mock Epic:


The rape of the lock is a famous mock epic. In the poem,
we see the influence of Paradise Lost in the invocation. If EVE dreams of Satan’s instigation,
Belinda dreams of Ariel advice. In poem, there is invocation to muse, proposition of subject
and frivolous grand style. In paradise lost , there is proposition of justification of God’s way
to men. But in this poem, Pope describes Belinda preparing herself with combs and pins.

As a result a subject matter appears in an even more ridiculous aspect than it reality is. So
the trivial occupation of toiletry, card game, coffee and cutting of the lock of hair appears in
a satiric light. The emphasis is more on comedy then on satire. It is sort of transgression
against the rules of proportion. It is “using a vast force to lift a feather.

Conclusion:
In order to make little , he employs the mock heroic form , not mock epic form,
but to show the triviality of main things by contrasting them with great things. The slaughter
of the lops is a highlight of the poem. This is the true Mock heroic style .The rape of the
lock successfully mocks the maximum of epic conversation.

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