A rare Dean & Son copy of The Rape of the Lock.
 
A mock epic poem satirizing English high society, The Rape of the Lock applies grand heroic styling to a petty conflict. When the Baron cuts and steals a lock of the belle Belinda’s hair, it sparks a humorous feud amongst their Catholic families. Pope parodies the exaggerated drama and grandness of classical epics to poke fun at the triviality of the aristocracy’s quarrels. Through heroic couplets and poetic devices, he elevates the silly theft into a mythical battle of the sexes full of sylphs, occult rituals, and disruptions of the cosmic order. Pope’s inventive use of epic conventions ultimately ridicules the vanities of young English nobles and critiques their frivolous lifestyles in early 18th century England.