The Rape of the Lock (Bedford Cultural Editions) [Paperback]

Alexander Pope (Author), Cynthia Wall (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0312115695 | ISBN-13: 978-0312115692 | Edition: First Edition

This edition reprints the text of Pope's classic poem — both the five-canto 1714 version and the facsimilie of the original 1712 version — together with a broad selection of documents. Including correspondence, poems, broadsides, reviews, and parodies, the documents focus special attention on Pope's life and career as well as on eighteenth-century poetic traditions and innovations, social habits and assumptions, historical events, and political implications. A general introduction providing historical and cultural background, a chronology of Pope's life and times, an introduction to each thematic group of documents, headnotes, extensive annotations, a selected bibliography, and a generous collection of maps, portraits, and illustrations make this volume a unique scholarly edition of this classic work of eighteenth-century literature.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Mock-epic poem in heroic couplets by Alexander Pope. The first version, published in 1712, consisted of two cantos; the final version, published in 1714, was expanded to five cantos. Based on an actual incident and written to reconcile the families that had been estranged by it, The Rape of the Lock recounts the story of a young woman who has a lock of hair stolen by an ardent young man. Pope couches the trivial event in terms usually reserved for incidents of great moment--such as the quarrel between the Greeks and the Trojans. The poem marries a rich range of literary allusions and an ironic commentary on the contemporary social world with a sense of suppressed energy threatening to break through the civilized veneer. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Alexander Pope (1688–1744) is widely regarded as the greatest English poet of the early 18th century, best known for his satirical verse. His other works include The Dunciad (1728) and An Essay on Man (1734). Aubrey Beardsley is a noted illustrator. Sophie Gee is the author of The Scandal of the Season.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 442 pages
• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's; First Edition edition (December 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312115695
• ISBN-13: 978-0312115692
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #854,669 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate "mock epic", August 5, 2003

By 

bixodoido (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rape of the Lock: Illustrations (Paperback)

This poem serves two purposes. First, Pope wrote it in response to an upper-class quarrel over an event at a party in which a young girl had her hair cut. The incident itself was petty and stupid, but the families of the parties involved were taking it very seriously. Pope, then, wrote this poem in epic form (the most grand of poetic forms) to show the absurdity of the matter, and thus reconcile the offender and offended.

That is the first function of this poem. Even though the incident is long forgotten, the poem is still very funny. But there is a greater purpose to this poem--it was written like an epic. It contains several epic elements--an epic battle (at the card game), the invocation of muses and gods, the epic quest (to cut the hair), and several literary devices, such as epic-length similes and catalogs. This is what makes this poem so great, and what serves as a testimony to Pope's remarkable genius for wit and satire.

Pope was, in my opinion, one of the greatest English poets, certainly the greatest satirist. This is one of his greatest works, and it is short enough to read over and over again without investing too much time.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly written with wit, style, and a flair for detail., July 16, 1998

By 

Kate Gombrich - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rape of the Lock (Bedford Cultural Editions) (Hardcover)

This is a highly intelligent book on one of the finest poems by the eighteenth century's most celebrated poet. Brilliantly written with wit, style, and a flair for interesting detail, Wall's book includes textual information and a wealth of carefully selected secondary material that makes this "one-stop shopping" for anyone interested in the work or indeed in the period. Because of its combination of lively writing and scholarly erudition, I would recommend Wall's book for a wide variety of interest and knowledge levels. Wonderful Bedford series idea and terrific book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The way literature should be done!, June 10, 2004

By 

"jcbondservant" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rape of the Lock (Bedford Cultural Editions) (Paperback)

This review should be taken seriously considering I didn't really like "The Rape of the Lock" and still give this book 5 stars!

"History is not a vacuum," one of my university history professors always told us. Neither is literature for that matter! This book examines the mock-epic poem "Rape of the Lock" in its social, literary, and historical contexts. The poem takes up a small portion of the book, and the rest is made up of diary entries, letters, essays, newspapers, etc. that help to explain the culture surrounding Pope. The city of London, clothes, card games, coffee, makeup, social norms, and countless other things are discussed in very readable and enjoyable ways in order to make "The Rape of the Lock" truly come alive.