FEDERAL UNIVERSITY LOKOJ

FACULTY OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND LITERARY STUDIES

COURSE TITLE: TOPICS IN RHECTORICS NARRATIVES AND ARGUMENT

COURSE CODE: ELS 313

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COURSE LECTURER: Dr. Ofure Aito

TOPIC: Alexander Pope's "An analysis on Criticism"; using the poem 'The Rape of the lock' for
Critical Analysis.
 The world of Literature, constructive and analytic criticism, Rhetorical discourses and essays, have
given to the society, different writers,And as such it is not an exaggeration to say, literary genuises like
Homer, Alexander Pope and the likes, with their divergent views alongside their individual critic
periods.From the great Greek classical writers and critics to the arrival of the Romantists, the
modernists, and other recognizable group or category of writers who have, for the consumption of
every literary interest, each of them showcasing their rhectoric prowess, have handed down manuals to
aid the art of criticism and to critic poetry(literature).We shall be considering one of the greatest, as he,
even consider himself so; Alexander Pope's ' An Essay on Criticism' and also using it as our manual to
criticise ' The Rape of the lock' written by Alexander Pope. We shall be looking at the critique methods
postulated by Alexander Pope, the literary interpretation of the poem' The Rape of the Lock' and also
referencing it significance and relevance to the society it was birthed into.

Alexander Pope 'An Essay on criticism' : The theories And loopholes.

Alexander Pope is an English essayist, critic, and satirist. He can be regarded as one of the greatest poets
of the Enlightenment era . One of the major contribution of Pope to the literary world is his ' An Essay
on Criticism' ,which is published in 1711. Then, in 1712 he wrote 'The rape of the lock' . ' The Rape of
Lock ' which is known as his most popular poem( This poem will be be clearly analyse later on in this
discourse) . Pope was writing in the Augustan literary period(a period of English literature during the
first half of the 18th century, known for satire and political themes) , a time of relative political stability
which allowed the arts to flourish and which was dominated by a taste for the Neoclassicals. As such,
literature which drew on the classical tradition was especially popular, as demonstrated by the success
of a number of Pope’s works, including “An Essay on Criticism,” Which draws inspiration from the Latin
poet Horace’s “Ars Poetica,” and his translations of Homer. It is worthy to note that Alexander Pope
was a central figure in the Neoclassical movement of the early 18th century.Pope's 'An Essay on
Criticism' is a manual for literary critics written in verse and has many elements that are applicable to his
'The Rape of lock'
Alexander Pope's 'An Essay on Criticism' is written in heroic couplets, the tone is straight-forward and
conversational. It is a discussion of what good critics should do; however, in reading it one gleans much
wisdom on the qualities poets should strive for in their own work.Which one can not ignore but dare to
notice because of the level of emphasis placed on them.'An Essay on Criticism' is Clearly divided into
three different parts:

• Part I is an indictment on false critics.

• Part II Is on the Obstacles to good criticism.

• Part III Is on the Wisdom of true critics.

PART I

The first part opens by describing the ways literary critics can actually cause harm. Pope argues that
critics must be both careful and humble when critiquing a piece of literature,according to him, the
writing of bad criticism actually hurts poetry more than the writing of bad poetry.Pope points out that
each critic has his or her own opinion, and if applied incorrectly, a critic can actually censure a talented
writer.However, Pope also argues that if a critic is honest, and doesn't fall prey to the feeling of envy
and instead listens to the seeds of understanding, that are naturally a part of him or herself, one can
become a wise critic.

The Greeks came to understand poetry through following the rules of nature, argues Pope, and
contemporary critics must do the same to gain mastery of the art and proper understanding of it.The
first section offers general principles of good criticism (and of poetry)since criticism for Pope means
determining the merit of a work rather than its meaning,understanding the rules for good poetry and
vice versa .He also emphasises on Self Awareness, as it is a crucial quality for a critic" Be sure yourself
and your own reach you know".The second task of the critic is to know nature. Nature, to Pope, is a
universal force, an ideal sought by critic and poet alike, an ideal that must be discovered by the critic
through a careful balance of wit and judgment, of imaginative invention and deliberate reason. The rules
of literary criticism may best be located in those works that have stood the test of time and universal
acceptance: Pope points out that, in times past, critics restricted themselves to discovering rules in
classical literature,whereas in his contemporary scene critics are straying from such principles. Moderns,
he declares, seem to make their own rules,Which are pendantic.

The problem, fault or controversy noticed in the first part is that Judgments are partial, and true taste is
as rare as true genius. Some critics go astray through false learning, others through envy of wit.So, there
are certain opinions that cannot be acceptable because they may be harmful, and as such creating a
solid need for censorship of judgements,separating the good from the bad.

The First solution or tip he gave for Good criticism is "First follow Nature" (68-87). (Nature here
means something like "the universe as God created it" or "that which is permanently true.") The second
solution or tip is; to learn the "rules of old," i.e. the precepts of poetry and criticism set down by the
classical Greek and Roman authors or deducible from their literature (88-140). Although, Alexander
Pope encourages the indepth study on classical works he also warns that the study be done carefully so
that one does not lose one's originality or creativity.." Take care, however, not to follow the rules
slavishly, but rather "know well each ancient's proper character, especially Homer" One reason he
encourages one to be flexible in applying the rules is because to him there are still genuius ideas not
yet discover we d and it should be lost following ancient precepts.According to him, there are "beauties
yet no precepts can declare." He also warns that Great writers can break the rules successfully.But
Modern poets should take care, however, that if they break a rule they should "ne'er transgress its end"
( produce a bad Work).

Part 1 is Summarily, Pope’s heavy indictment of false critics. He suggests that critics often are partial to
their own judgment, judgment deriving, ofcourse, from nature, like that of the poet’s genius. Nature
provides everyone with some taste, which may in the end help the critic to judge properly. He higlights
that, Therefore, the first job of the critic is to know himselfor herself, his or her own judgments, his or
her own tastes and abilities( the quality of self awarness).

PART II

In the part two of "Analysis on Criticism" Pope describes some of the ways that critics develop bad
judgment, the chief of which is 'pride'. The key to avoiding this is to know your own faults and
limitations. Moreover, critics must study well and focus on conventions passed down from the masters
of poetry. Pope warns, however, that critics must be careful of becoming slaves to the rules and
conventions that others have developed According to him,One of the products of adhering too closely to
conventions is that critics become fascinated with extremes and forget the essential truth that beauty
and good poetry are made up of the combination of all of their parts, rather than each part by itself. He
also states that critics should be carefull to not let the popularity of an author misguide a critic's
appreciation of an author's work.

The flaws of critics or criticism as identified in this part are:

• Pride (201-214) is the biggest pitfall, in criticism just like everything else may be.

• "little learning" (215-232). A little learning makes critics susceptible to pride, by making them think
they know more than they do. (Pope is not praising ignorance here; the cure for the pride of little
learning is more learning, which teaches the scholar how little he or she knows.)

• "a love to parts"--i.e. emphasizing one aspect of a poem at the expense of all others (233-383). A critic
SHOULD, instead,"read each work of wit/With the same spirit that its author writ"; "Survey the whole"
and "regard the writer's end" (233-254)

•: Eloquence of language (305-337), as opposed to the ideas the language is supposed to express. One
example: the use of archaic language (324-336)

• liking only "one small sect," e.g. foreign writers, British author, ancients, or moderns, as opposed to
approving of merit wherever it is found (394-407).
• judging authors according to the opinions of others rather than the merit of the work. E.g.:

• judging the name rather than the work (412-413).

• worst case: judging the work on the basis of social rank (414-424).

•prizing novelty above everything else (424-451).

• valuing only those works who agree with one's own point of view, or valuing those that are written
by member of one's own party, are written by friends, etc. (452-473). Envy plays a big part here.

Some premises arising from the above: "Be thou the first true merit to defend," even though we cannot
expect modern writers to endure as the ancients did (474-493).; don't let yourself succumb to envy
(494-525).

• But shun "provoking crimes" such as obscenity and blasphemy. Here too, however, one must take care
not to"mistake an author into vice" (556-559).

PART III

In the third part, Pope offers some wisdom that critics should follow. Once again, Pope emphasizes the
importance of humility and studying deeply, particularly studying those poets and critics who truly
understand poetry and follow nature.Pope then reflects on the ups and downs of literature and literary
critics since Greek culture, explaining how the understanding produced by the Greeks and Romans was
lost and is only beginning to be appreciated again.

Pope gives the basic characteristics of a good critic. A critic should have a good knowledge, taste,
judgment and objectivity.Moreover, there is another characteristic, which is more importantthan others,
of a good critic. The characteristic is being Self Confident."Be silent always when you doubt your sense;
And speak, though sure, with seeming diffidence:” If a critic is not sure about his/her opinion, he/she
must not speak on a work. On the other hand, a critics should speak, argue with self-confidence.

In Part I of 'An Essay on Criticism,' Pope notes the lack of “true taste” in critics, stating: “’Tis with our
judgments as our watches,none / Go just alike, yet each believes his own.” Pope advocates knowing
one’s own artistic limits: “Launch not beyond your depth,but be discreet, / And mark that point where
sense and dullness meet.” He stresses the order in nature and the value of the work of the “Ancients” of
Greece, but also states that not all good work can be explained by rules: “Some beauties yet, no
precepts can declare, For there’s a happiness as well as care.”  

In Part II, Pope lists the mistakes that critics make, as well as the defects in poems that some critics
short-sightedly praise. He advocates looking at a whole piece of work, instead of being swayed by some
of its showier or faulty parts: “As men of breeding, sometimes men of wit, / T’ avoid great errors, must
the less commit.” He advises against too much ornamentation in writing, and against fancy style that
communicates little of merit. In his description of versification, his lines enact the effects of clumsy
writing: “And ten low words oft creep in one dull line,” and “A needless Alexandrine ends the song, /
That, like a wounded snake,drags its slow length along.”

In Part III, Pope discusses what critics should do, holding up the “Ancients” as models, including
Aristotle(the “Stagirite”) who was respected by the lawless poets: “Poets, arace long unconfin’d and
free, / Still fond and proud of savageliberty, / Receiv’d his laws; and stood convinc’d ‘twas fit, / Who.

Qualities of a good critic/ Poet According To Alexander Pope's " An Essay On Criticism"

Wit: Alexander Pope said that a good critic must have wit. Wit according to him refers to the use of
words with many meaning. The critic should be able clever and creativily persuade the the reader
through his writing. The writer should also have a good repertoire of knowledge and intelligiblity. One
must provide a work from a sound mind, with the use of creative language. He also said that the work
must be an reflection of a genuis. A writing must be skillfully presented and be impressive, as he also
state bad writing is offensive to the society.

A Brief Analysis of Alexander Popes ' The Rape of the lock'

' The Rape of the lock' is a mock-epic poem developed in reaction to a real social event that happened
between two estranged families that were previously cordial families and a friend’s request that Pope
take a part in defusing the anger that led to that estrangement. While attending a party, a certain young
Lord Petre had as a joke clipped a ringlet from the head of Arabella Fermor. Miss Fermor saw no humor
in the act, and her negative reaction caused a break in relations between the Petres and the Fermors. As
prominent families in a small Catholic community, of which Pope himself was a part, they threatened to
disrupt relationships beyond their own through their quarrel. Lord Petre’s teacher contacted Pope and
asked that he write a poem in jest about the event. As Pope wrote to a friend, the tutor John Caryll
hoped Pope’s work might for the two families “laugh them together again.”

The Rape of the Lock is a humorous indictment of the vanities and idleness of 18th-century high society.
Basing his poem on a real incident among families of his acquaintance, Pope intended his verses to cool
hot tempers and to encourage his friends to laugh at their folly.

The poem is perhaps the most outstanding example in the English language of the genre of mock-epic.
The epic had long been considered one of the most serious of literary forms; it had been applied, in the
classical period, to the lofty subject matter of love and war, and, more recently, by Milton, to the
intricacies of the Christian faith." Rape of The Lock" takes on the form of a classical epic to poke fun at
contemporary life by creating a humorous mismatch between style and substance. The strategy of
Pope’s mock-epic is not to mock the form itself, but to mock his society in its very failure to rise to epic
standards, exposing its pettiness by casting it against the grandeur of the traditional epic subjects and
the bravery and fortitude of epic heroes: Pope’s mock-heroic treatment in The Rape of the Lock
underscores the ridiculousness of a society in which values have lost all proportion, and the trivial is
handled with the gravity and solemnity that ought to be accorded to truly important issues. It is also
worth noting that the early 18th century saw the rise of early industrialization and the spread of British
colonial power further across the globe, both facts reflected in the poem’s preoccupation with objects.
The beginning of industrialized mass production meant owning more “stuff” was suddenly more
affordable than it had ever been, and Pope mocks Belinda’s almost senseless number of possessions.
The expansion of the British Empire meant exotic objects (such as the coffee and china Pope mentions)
were suddenly within reach, and an absurd version of this trend also features in the poem.The society
on display in this poem is one that fails to distinguish between things that matter and things that do not.
The poem mocks the men it portrays by showing them as unworthy of a form that suited a more heroic
culture. Thus the mock-epic resembles the epic in that its central concerns are serious and often moral,
but the fact that the approach must now be satirical rather than earnest is symptomatic of how far the
culture has fallen.

Pope’s use of the mock-epic genre is intricate and exhaustive."Rape of the lock" is a poem in which every
element of the contemporary scene conjures up some image from epic tradition or the classical world
view, and the pieces are wrought together with a cleverness and expertise that makes the poem
surprising and delightful. Pope’s transformations are numerous, striking, and loaded with moral
implications. . The. Cosmetics, clothing, and jewelry substitute for armor and weapons, and the rituals of
religious sacrifice are transplanted to the dressing room altar of love.

Alexander Pope opens his humorous mock-epic The Rape of the Lock with the verse “What mighty
contests rise from trivial things”—from the very beginning Pope offers his stance on the event that he is
basing his poem on: that it is absolutely trivial.Throughout the poem, Pope is able to both satirize and
humanize the flaws of the bourgeoisie society by cunningly observing and commenting on their rampant
narcissism and obsession with public image. The religious imagery surrounding vain rituals, the
symbolism of the nymphs and the hyperbolic treatment of hair are all devices that construct Pope’s
derisive commentary that simultaneously pokes fun at the traditional epic poem structure and society’s
trivial priorities.

The verse form of The Rape of the Lock is the heroic couplet; Pope still reigns as the uncontested master
of the form.The Rape of the Lock" is the finest example of a mock-epic in English. The poem's 794 lines
are divided into five cantos or sections. The word "canto" is derived from the Latin cantus or song; it
originally signified a section of a narrative poem sung by a minstrel. "The Rape of the Lock" is written in
heroic couplets, lines of iambic pentameter, rhyming aa, bb, cc, and so forth. The description "heroic"
was first used in the seventeenth century because of the frequent use of such couplets in epic poems.
The heroic couplet consists of rhymed pairs of iambic pentameter lines (lines of ten syllables each,
alternating stressed and unstressed syllables). Pope’s couplets do not fall into strict iambs, however,
flowering instead with a rich rhythmic variation that keeps the highly regular meter from becoming
heavy or tedious. Pope distributes his sentences, with their resolutely parallel grammar, across the lines
and half-lines of the poem in a way that enhances the judicious quality of his ideas. Moreover, the
inherent balance of the couplet form is strikingly well suited to a subject matter that draws on
comparisons and contrasts: the form invites configurations in which two ideas or circumstances are
balanced, measured, or compared against one another. It is thus perfect for the evaluative, moralizing
premise of the poem,particularly in the hands Of this brilliant poet.

Lord Petre (the Baron in the poem) surprises the beautiful Arabella Fermor (Belinda) by clipping off a
lock of hair. At the suggestion of his friend and with Arabella Fermor's approval, Alexander Pope used
imagination, hyperbole, wit, and gentle satire to inflate this trivial social slip-up into an earthshaking
catastrophe of cosmic consequence. The poem is generally described as one of Pope's most brilliant
satires. The poem makes serious demands upon the reader, not only because of its length, but also
because it requires a background knowledge of epic literature and some understanding of the trapping
of upper-crust England."The Rape of the Lock," constantly shifts between mocking silly social
conventions of the aristocracy, (such as elaborate courtship rituals) and satirizing serious literary
conventions of traditional epic literature (such as its lofty style, exhaustive descriptions of warriors
readying for battle, and heavy doses of mythology). With many allusions to Homer's Iliad and Odyssey,
Virgil's Aeneid, and John Milton's Paradise Lost, the speaker compares the loss of Belinda's hair to the
great battles of classic epic literature. The speaker describes Belinda applying makeup as if she was a
warrior going to battle. While playing a game of cards, the Baron sneaks up behind Belinda and perform
the "tragic" snipping of the lock of hair. An army of gnomes and sprites attempts to protect Belinda to
no avail Belinda demands the restoration of her lock and another "battle" ensues. Finally, the lock
ascends skyward as a new star to beautify the heavens.

Application of Alexander Popes' Essay on criticism' using The Poem 'Rape of the lock'.

Pope's "An Essay on Criticism" is a manual for literary critics written in verse and has many elements that
are applicable to his "Rape of the Lock."

First, Pope wrote the poem in the Epic form, a genre of poetry popular amongst classical writers e.g
Homer, starting off on his view of following the rules and the ways of the classical writers. Pope urges
that his readers justly value the models of antiquity and appreciate their greatness. This means that as a
student, even if One find Pope's own writing archaic or difficult, you should put in the effort to read it
carefully for yourself; just as Pope learned about human nature and literary form from close study of
Homer, so you can learn from reading Pope. Pope urges critics not to judge too hastily or negatively and
to understand poems in light of what the poet is setting out to accomplish. as one read the "Rape of
the Lock", The focus is on its nature as a mock epic and how it effectively satirizes the traditions of
heroic epic.

"An Essay on Criticism" also focuses on poetic craft( license) . One can use the "numbers" section to
evaluate Pope's use of meter; looking at whether he mixes polysyllabic words with monosyllabic ones to
avoid having "... ten low words oft creep in one dull line" and whether he uses metrical variations in a
way appropriate to his subject matter.

Pope also argues that it is important to use rhymes effectively. In "Rape of the Lock" he often rhymes
the grand terms of traditional epic with trivial ones of everyday life for comic effect, as when he uses an
extended (mock) epic simile to compare a game of cards to a war; a good example of this manner of
using rhyme can be found in the following lines:

His warlike amazon her host invades,

ords oft creep in one dull line" and

whether he uses metrical variations in a way appropriate to his subject matter.

His warlike amazon her host invades,

Th’ imperial consort of the crown of Spades

Pope alludes to the complete lack of self-awareness of the society, the seldom amount of self-criticism
and overflow of narcissistic values( a direct opposite of the quality of self awareness in An Essay on
Criticism)

Pope Also achieved diversity of style within the couplet by changing the position of the caesura or line
break. He expertly balanced the two lines, often using a slight pause at the end of the first line and a
heavy stop at the end of the second line. Moreover, he frequently balanced a statement of a thesis and
antithesis somewhere within each line, as in these lines from his Essay on Criticism:

Careless of censure nor too fond of fame; Still pleased to praise, yet not afraid to blame; Averse alike to
flatter, or offend; Not free from faults, nor yet too vain to mend.

Extensively, Alexander Pope expresses his opinion in His style of writing, we can clearly see the
religious influence( as a result of his religious background) in the poem.We can also see how he uses
the poem to state his opinion and view of his society.

It is expedient to note the merit or relevance of "Rape of the lock" to its society, observing pope
view in His essay on criticism that the merit of the work is important than its meaning. He puts to play
the rules for good poetry.

He also brings to play his theory of self awareness resulting to his work being a great literary piece
protraying and showing the readers his great capabilities and his mastery of literary expression.

According to Alexander Pope's An Essay on Criticism" one of the task of a good critic is to know
Nature( an ideal sought of a critic or poet). 'The Rape of the lock' brings this to life as we see his display
of imaginative invention, wit and judgement and he uses the poem to settle the feud between the two
families and symmetrically, allegorise and in someway mock, some of the prevalent norm in his society
at that time.
 He also draws from the classical poem genre as ' The Rape of the lock' is an epic poem it shows how
much the writer plays on classical literature but also inculcates the neoclassical writing making it a
feature of both past and present literary writing style. Pope does not restrict his writings to the classical
rules taken from their literature only, but also sticks to the contemporary principles( as slated in his "
analysis of criticism") showing a great deal of flexibility in his writing. It also show that the Alexander
Pope has study and fully mastered the rules of classical literature.

"Rape of the lock" follows almost absolutely the laid down framework of Alexander Pope's Essay on
Criticism. As this literary piece shows some level of knowledge of the Epic poetry genre, it has good
literary taste, it portrays the writer's clear judgement of the issues raised and finally its purpose and
objectivity is deviced.

Conclusion

We have looked at the structure of Alexander pope's ' An Analysis on Criticism' the features of it as a
neoclassical work, different from the classical works before his era, we have looked how he displays and
explores his postulated theories on his poem ' Rape of the lock' . which satirizes his society as it were.
Alexander Pope has shown us the importance of self awareness, the dangers of pride, the art of quality
writing(s), the relevance of acquiring the knowledge of the ancient ways,and how one can use one's
ability to pen down words to point out errors, to inform, and even make mockery( to positive ends)of
one's society.
WORKS CITED:

Edinburgh prints:The Rape of the lock( An heroi-comical poem in five cantos by Alexander pope.

Poetry foundation( october 13, 1999) : Essay on poetic criticism; An essay on criticism. Chicago.

Literariness.Org(2021): Analysis of Alexander Pope's' the Rape of the lock'