The Confluence
Student Type
Undergraduate
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Writing in London during the eighteenth-century, the poet Alexander Pope earned an enduring reputation in literary canon as a master of satire. His well-loved poem The Rape of the Lock exemplifies his biting wit and characteristically satirical heroic rhyme couplets. In my article, I use a formalist literary approach to examine Pope's stylistic, literary, and rhetorical strategies throughout the climactic third canto of the poem. Performing a close reading, this essay analyzes the intricacies of the poem through its use of diction, rhyme, and dramatic subject matter, ultimately arguing that Pope achieves a complex balance of satirizing and sympathizing with the characters in his poem.
Recommended Citation
Ball, Helen R.
(2025)
"A Tiny Battle: Conflict, Structure, and Satire in "The Rape of the Lock","
The Confluence: Vol. 4:
Iss.
2, Article 2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62608/2150-2633.1090
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/theconfluence/vol4/iss2/2
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Date
5/16/2025
Included in
Literature in English, British Isles Commons, Reading and Language Commons, Rhetoric and Composition Commons
Author Bio
Helen Ball is a senior at Lindenwood University, with majors in English Literature and Philosophy. Her research interests include logic and nineteenth-century British literature. After graduation, Helen plans to work in the publishing industry and pursue graduate degrees in composition and rhetoric.