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  Q.    Discuss the feature of the Mock Epic poem and how “The Rape Of The Lock” can be analyzed as a parodic exposure of the English eighteen century “ Beau-Monde ”. The Rape of the Lock  is mock-heroic epic poetry penned by Alexander Pope to satires petty egotistical elitist quarrel between two aristocratic families. Here    I    intend to explore “ The Rape of the Lock ” as an epic conforming to all the conventions of an epic such as invocations of Gods, descriptions of armour, battles, and extended similes. Pope here uses humour, wit, mockery, ridicule and irony to criticize the frivolous aspect of the feminine world through the medium of Belinda impersonating Arabella Fermor and caricaturing trivial concerns and un-heroic values of the Beau-Monde.      Epic literature belongs to the narrative genre of poetry. Epic is a long narrative poem recounting in elevated style the deeds of a legendary hero, especially one originating in ...

  EPIC: The epic is a narrative poem of supposed divine inspiration treating of a subject of great and momentous importance for mankind, the characters of the story are partly human and partly divine, and the language and style in which the incidents are related are full of elevation and dignity. If a long narrative poem should satisfy all the tests of epic poetry, but if the subject which is celebrated be of a trivial nature, like the cutting off a lock of a woman’s hair, which is the story that is related in Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock”, then such a poem is called a mock-epic. A mock-epic poem is supposed to be the inspiration of a Muse, and the language is stilted and grandiose, but the subject is of a very frivolous and commonplace nature. MOCK EPIC: Mock-epic or mock-heroic or heroic-comical terms are applied to literary works in which the epic or heroic tradition is ridiculed. Pope's poem satirises a minor incident by comparing it to the epic world of the gods. It was based ...

  What are the contrastive images used in the poem “The Snow” by Alamgir Hashmi?       "The Snow" is a poem by Alamgir Hashmi, a Pakistani poet who writes in English. Hashmi was born in Lahore in 1951 and received his education in Pakistan and the United States. He is considered an avant-garde poet who explores themes of identity, culture, and politics in his works. He has published several collections of poetry, as well as literary criticism and scholarly editions. "The Snow" was published in his collection Inland and Other Poems in 1984. The poem reflects Hashmi's experience of living in different countries and climates, and his sense of alienation and nostalgia for his homeland. The poem uses contrastive images to convey the speaker's emotions and memories of snowfall in a Pakistani city.  "The Snow" by Alamgir Hashmi is a poignant and evocative poem that utilizes contrastive images to explore themes of fear, wordlessness, and the passage of tim...

Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" is a literary masterpiece comprising a collection of stories narrated by a diverse group of travellers on their pilgrimage to the Canterbury Cathedral. Chaucer skillfully employs various techniques to create vivid and distinctive characters throughout his epic poem. One of Chaucer's key techniques in characterization is the meticulous use of physical descriptions. He provides detailed portrayals of his characters' appearances, clothing, and mannerisms, allowing readers to grasp their personalities and backgrounds. For instance, the Knight is depicted as "a verray parfit gentil knight," exemplifying his courteous, humble, and temperate nature. These descriptions effectively convey the Knight's noble and chivalrous qualities. Similarly, the Monk is described as "a manly man" who prioritizes hunting and leisure over spiritual matters, emphasizing his worldliness. Meanwhile, the Friar is portrayed as ...

O sweet spontaneous earth how often have (1-2) Mother Earth in its natural state The poet considers the earth sweet and spontaneous. She's sweet because she doesn't hurt anyone. Earth is spontaneous because it is dynamic and natural. She goes on her way without stopping and slowing down. The poet may intend to say that those who live on earth should be sweet manner and spontaneous in their good deeds. the doting  fingers of prurient philosophers pinched and poked thee (3-9) War in the name of philosophy The poet mentions that the emotional fingers of erotic philosophers pinch and poke mother earth. A philosopher is "an intellectual who has contributed to one or more branches of philosophy such as aesthetics, ethics, theology, logic, social theory, and political philosophy." Such has become selfish and infamous. They do not do what they say. Political leaders follow certain philosophies and live in the illusion that their philosophy is better than others. They fight ag...

 'A Far Cry from Africa' by Derek Walcott.  This is an African literature piece of literature that definitely carries the flavour of Africa. In fact, African literature is more post-normal as compared to any other literature with this theme. The title is "A Far Cry From Africa" , it's a cry that is not close, that is not near, it is far away. It's powerful as well, in another sense, because it's coming from Africa. That means oppression is there and because of that oppression, the cry is coming up. The cry can also be taken in two senses. One may be a cry of pain, another may be a cry of protest. In both ways, the point can be seen to be A Far Cry From Africa. Derek Walcott is a very famous post-colonial writer and is known not only as a teacher but also as a playwright. Dream and Monkey Mountain is one of the plays written by him, and in that drama as well, he portrays similar skills as he shows in his poems. This is why he is a post-non-writer. He is a ...

In W. H. Auden's poem "The Unknown Citizen", he uses irony to make the reader think about what the unnamed man thought about his life. "The Unknown Citizen", was written during World War II in the 1940s. During this time a man's possessions and status defined who he was. The unnamed man established a name for himself within his community and appears to be living the American Dream. He is praised throughout the poem as if he has no flaws. Auden uses irony, allusion, and irregular rhyme in his free-verse poem "The Unknown Citizen" to analyse the fulfilment of the America Dream. The irony Auden uses in "The Unknown Citizen" is indirectly suggested. Throughout the poem, the unnamed man is described as a "saint". This word choice reveals to the reader that he is a man that could not do any harm. The unnamed man was only admired for what he had accomplished in life according to the standards of the world. He was a hard worker, a great...

The theme of The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope is a mock-epic poem that satirizes the vanity and frivolity of upper-class English society in the early eighteenth century. The poem tells the story of a trivial quarrel between two aristocratic families over the theft of a lock of hair from a beautiful lady named Belinda by a gallant Baron. One of the main themes of the poem is vanity, which is shown by the excessive attention that the characters pay to their appearance, reputation, and possessions. Belinda, for example, spends hours in her dressing room, adorning herself with jewels, cosmetics, and perfumes, and consulting the goddess of love and beauty, Spleen. She considers her beauty as her greatest asset and source of power and is enraged when the Baron cuts off a lock of her hair without her consent. The Baron, on the other hand, is motivated by his desire to possess a trophy of Belinda’s hair, which he thinks will make him famous and admi...

What mighty contests rise from trivial things." Rape of the Lock The Rape of the Lock is a mock-heroic poem by Alexander Pope that satirizes the trivial quarrel between two aristocratic families in 18th-century London. The poem was written to reconcile the families after Lord Petre cut off a lock of hair from Miss Arabella Fermor’s head without her consent, which caused a violent dispute. The poem is dedicated to Miss Fermor, who belonged to a distinguished Catholic family. Pope imitates the form and style of the epic genre, which is usually reserved for heroic and serious subjects, and applies it to a commonplace and trivial incident. He uses various epic conventions, such as the invocation to the muse, the epic similes, the epic machinery, the journey to the underworld, the voyage on water, and the heroic battle, to create a contrast between the high style and the low subject matter, which is typical of a mock-heroic poem. One of the mock epic features is the invocation to the m...

  Rape of the Lock Context Alexander Pope was born in London in 1688. As a Roman Catholic living during a time of Protestant consolidation in England, he was largely excluded from the university system and from political life, and suffered certain social and economic disadvantages because of his religion as well. He was self-taught to a great extent, and was an assiduous scholar from a very early age. He learned several languages on his own, and his early verses were often imitations of poets he admired. His obvious talent found encouragement from his father, a linen-draper, as well as from literary-minded friends. At the age of twelve, Pope contracted a form of tuberculosis that settled in his spine, leaving him stunted and misshapen and causing him great pain for much of his life. He never married, though he formed a number of lifelong friendships in London’s literary circles, most notably with Jonathan Swift. Pope wrote during what is often called the Augustan Age of English...