THE SATIRIC FEATURES OF ALEXANDER POPE'S POEM THE RAPE OF LOCKEdebiyat
Alexander Pope's poem The Rape of the Lock is a critique of the idiosyncrasies and foibles of English aristocratic society. Pope uses wit, sarcasm and irony to convey his moral message. Pope depicts the false tone of the time and the frivolity of women, whilst acting sympathetically as the voice of his generation. The play is a social satire in that it pokes fun at society in a way that can still be applied in the modern day. The satire is not aimed at one individual, but at the faults and vanities of fashionable men and women at large.
Pope's poem The Rape of the Lock was based on a real-life incident between two people, told to him by his friend John Caryll. The Baron was the suitor of Arabella Fermor, Lord Petre, and Belinda was her. Arabella was furious, and the two families began to denigrate and ignore each other, until Pope wrote the poem to make light of the tragedy and to bring them back together again. Pope's memory of the joyful conclusion of the poem evolves with the times. Pope immediately wrote the first draft of the poem, which he then shared with the family for some time. This version was published unnamed in 1712 and was much briefer than the most commonly read version. Things got more difficult at this point. The sensual implications and multiple meanings of Pope's poem became more apparent as more people read the printed version, and Arabella Fermor was mortified when her friends began to point out the crude humour. The real Sir Plume of the poem, Sir Charles Brown, took offence at being called a fool. Pope transformed the basic story into a fantastical setting by including sylphs and nymphs. In order to appease Arabella Fermor, Pope wrote a dedication to the poem. Poem became a success and has been the subject of praise, criticism and debate ever since.
The late seventeenth century saw the development of the satirical genre in English literature, with virtually every poet of the time producing at least one satiric poem. In The Rape of the Lock, the poet examines the pride of English aristocratic society and exposes their exaggerated belief in their own abilities and the attraction of others. He also pokes fun at civilisation by staging battle scenes and exposing its conceit. By means of social satire, the poem illustrates the state of mind of these people in a way that will appeal to all readers.
The poem is about two characters: Belinda, a female character, and Baron, a male character. Belinda is a woman of the aristocratic class of the time, while Baron is a male character of the same class. The poet laughs at the gentlemen's lifestyle in the poem, which is the opposite of heroic. The young aristocracy had no goals or values to speak of, like the women of the time. They were in a heated battle with each other for the ladies. Living as a contemporary lord was just as meaningless and superficial as living as a woman. The poem discusses how men try their best to impress women, while women are busy trying to impress men. Men are portrayed as worthless, idle, lethargic, stupid, ignorant and empty-headed with flirting as their main aim, while women are shown as interested in make-up, cosmetics and hair colour. In the eighteenth century, the dressing table was the first priority for aristocratic women and they were overjoyed to receive love letters. Belinda wakes up from her sleep and goes back to it. She does not have to worry about this. The poet wants to show that these people are well off. They have no reason to worry. From the beginning of the poem, the poet demonstrates the upper class' sluggishness. The evolution of people's interests over time is also demonstrated in the poem. They have lost interest in tales of bravery, heroes and warriors, and are preoccupied with improving their appearance for a ball. Court gossip was also a reflection of the shallowness and superficiality of the age. Card games were popular, ombre was the favourite game of the lords and ladies, and the drinking of coffee was one of the most important pastimes of the time. The poet says that the relationship between men and women is fake in every way. He shows how individuals are preoccupied with their careers and not interested in lasting relationships. People often do not like to spend time with those who are lower than them. Belinda's friends abandoned her when her lock was cut; this episode shows the void in the interpersonal relationships of the time.
There are some similarities between the period mentioned in the poem and the period we live in. The oppression of people in that period on the grounds of religious and moral values continues in a similar dimension today. In society, sometimes individually and sometimes collectively, criticisms and judgements are made on many issues ranging from women's dress, appearance, social relations and behaviour at a level that exceeds individual rights and freedoms. Even these judgements go as far as the chastity of women. Although it has decreased compared to the past, it is still the case that people can easily form negative opinions about each other on such moral issues. In addition, self-interest relations between people continue to this day. Many situations that are seen as normal by people in today's society were seen as a waste of time by the poet at that time. Against all these negative approaches, people today prioritise individual freedoms and act accordingly. As a result of the rights gained through legal regulations and social changes, women today are more comfortable and free to make decisions about themselves and behave as they wish. However, despite the positive change in social life, as in the past, people's economic situation affects their lives today. The standard of living between those with the highest income and those with the lowest income in society varies widely and deeply. While the wealthy people get what they want and provide the comfort of life in the best way, the working class, whose financial situation is inadequate, experiences the opposite situation. The working class has to make many sacrifices in order to live today, as it did then. Respect has increased in bilateral relations. Men and women, rich and poor can establish healthier dialogues compared to that time.
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