“The Rape of the Lock” is a poem written by Alexander Pope that uses Horatian satire to satirize the triviality of a lock of hair being cut from the head of a woman without her knowledge. Pope writes the poem in a mock-epic style to help trivialize this minor incident. Pope uses the conventions and techniques of epic poetry in his mock epic. These techniques include elaborately portrayed heroes, the use of supernatural beings, and the depiction of trivial things like battles. Unlike most epic poetry where men represent the heroes, Pope uses a woman, Belinda, as the heroine. Belinda is a very attractive woman who lives a luxurious life. Pope uses his epic parody to idealize 17th century aristocratic society. He does this in particular by idealizing Belinda, the heroine of the poem. Pope does this by placing Belinda at the center of the poem. The poem opens with Belinda waking up at noon and preparing for a party. Belinda's beauty is first admired by her "watchful spirit" Ariel (1.106). Ariel is the one who watches over Belinda and he describes her as "the fairest of mortals, thou hast distinguished care/of thousands of bright denizens of the air." ! » (1.27-28). Ariel sets the tone for Belinda as a beautiful woman who has a lot expected of her. Pope treats Belinda's preparations with the respect a goddess would receive. The vessels and powders she uses are described as having mystical powers, "and now unveiled, the toilets are exposed, / [each] silver vessel is set in mystical order" (1.121-122). Pope describes the cosmetics she uses as mystical to further idealize Belinda and show her as the heroine. After many hours of preparation, Belinda is finally ready to enter society. Pope further demonstrates the great...... middle of paper ......ombat flies” (5.37-38). Pope uses the dramatization of war to make this trivial altercation seem more important than it is. Pope uses the mock-epic style of "The Rape of the Lock" to highlight the stupidity of arguments over the removal of a lock and a hair. He uses the conventions of epic poetry to further allude to the ridiculousness of the situation. Pope uses techniques such as the idealization of a heroine, the presence of supernatural beings, and the dramatization of insignificant things in terms of war to reinforce his mock-epic style and satire of the incident. Using these techniques, Pope also alludes to epics that have significance. This allows the reader to see the contrast in the importance of things. Works Cited Pope, Alexander. The rape of the lock. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume C, 9th ed. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. New York: Norton, 2012. 2686-2704.