The word ‘satire’ is derived from 

the Latin word ‘satira’

which is a literary attack on the follies and vices of an 
individual or a society with a view to correcting them
through laughter and ridicule written either in prose or
verse. As Shakespeare is the poet of man, Alexander Pope
is a poet of society. The Rape of the Lock is a social
document because it mirrors satire, too. Pope paints about
England in the 18th century. The whole panorama of the
Rape the Lock revolves around the false standard of the
18th century. Pope satirizes the young boys, girls,
aristocratic women and men, their free time, activities,
nature of husbands and wives, the professionals. Pope
clearly depicts the absurdities and the frivolities of the
fashionable circle of 18th century England. The world of
Belinda is a world of fashion or a trivial world. The whole
life of Belinda is confined to sleeping, make- up,
enjoyment and alluring the affection, malice, coquetry,
yielding and submissive nature, violent and unruly nature,
infidelity, cheapness, trivialities and frivolities. Belinda
represents all the fashion struck women, busy in such
stupidities.
          In this poem, Pope represents the aristocratic
gallants of the age. Pope satirises man’s nature that is
always weak at beauty. Man sacrifices everything at the
alter of beauty and even the most intelligent man behaves
foolishly when he falls a victim of  beauty.
“With tender Billet-doux he lights the pyre, And breathes
three am’rous Sighs to raise the Fire, Then prostrate falls,
and begs with ardent Eyes soon to obtain, and long process
the prize.’’
          In order to make his satire sharper, Pope uses
supernatural elements, which facilitates the satire.
Through this weapon, he satirises women who are
interested in fashionable life and it pursuits and who go on
exercising their evil influence even after their death. He
satirises women of fiery, coquettish mischievous and
yielding nature and gives them different play toy with
them.
          Pope also satirises the husbands and wives of the
day. Husbands always think that their wives have been
marry-making with their lovers. On the other hand, wives
are also not virtuous at all. They love their lap dog more
than their husbands. And the death of husbands is not
more shocking than the death of a lap dog or the breakage
of a china vessel: “not louder shrieks to pitying Heave are
cast, when husbands, or when lopdogs breathe their last’’.
          So through the medium of satire, Pope paints a
picture of 18th century fashionable English society. His
satire is didactic and impersonal. It is not inflicted against
the society and that, too, owing to some moral faults. He is
dissatisfied with the society around which he wants to
reform. But there are several allied subjects too, on which
he inflicts his satire. For example, he satirised the judges
who make hasty decisions.
          “The hungry judges soon the sentence sign, And
wretches hang that jurymen may dire’’. He also satirised
those friends whose friendship is but last, those politicians
who do not have a deeper insight and cannot see beyond
the shows and take steps just for their own interests.
          To sum up, the poem is a reflection of this artificial
and hollow life, painted with a humorous and delicate
satire. Pope introduces us with the world of frivolous-
dressing, flirting, card-laying, driving in Hyde park,
visiting theatres, writing love letters and so on. Their
whole day’s program seems to be nothing but a waste.
Pope’s satire is unique, intellectual and full of wit and
epigram. Lowell rightly says
“Pope stands by himself in English verse as an intellectual
observer and describer of personal weakness’’.