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After Dryden, the form continued to flourish, and there are countless minor mock-heroic poems from 1680 to 1780.
Additionally, there were a few attempts at a mock-heroic novel.
The most significant later mock-heroic poems were by Alexander Pope.
Pope ’ s The Rape of the Lock is a brilliant example of the Mock-Heroic style ; indeed, Pope never deviates from mimicking Epic poetry such as Homer ’ s Iliad and Virgil ’ s Aeneid.
The overall form of the poem, written in Cantos, follows the tradition of epics, along with the precursory “ Invocation of the Muse ”; in this case, Pope ’ s Muse is literally the person who prodded him to write the poem, John Caryll: “ this to Caryll, Muse !” ( line 3 ).
Epics always include foreshadowing which is usually given by an otherworldly figure, and Pope mocks tradition through Ariel the sprite, who sees some “ dread event ” ( line 109 ) impending on Belinda.
These epic introductory tendencies give way to the main portion of the story, usually involving a battle of some kind ( such as in the Iliad ) that follows this pattern: dressing for battle ( description of Achilles shield, preparation for battle ), altar sacrifice / libation to the gods, some battle change ( perhaps involving drugs ), treachery ( Achilles ankle is told to be his weak spot ), a journey to the Underworld, and the final battle.
All of these elements are followed eloquently by Pope in that specific order: Belinda readies herself for the card game ( which includes a description of her hair and beauty ), the Baron makes a sacrifice for her hair ( the altar built for love and the deal with Clarissa ), the “ mock ” battle of cards changes in the Baron ’ s favor, Clarissa ’ s treachery to her supposed friend Belinda by slipping the Baron scissors, and finally the brilliant treatment of the card game as a battle and the Baron ’ s victory.
Pope ’ s mastery of the Mock-Heroic is clear in every instance.
Even the typical apotheosis found in the epics is mimicked in The Rape of the Lock, as “ the stars inscribe Belinda ’ s name !” ( line 150 ).
Truly a master is at work, and he invokes the same Mock-heroic style in The Dunciad which also employs the language of heroic poetry to describe menial or trivial subjects.
In this mock-epic the progress of Dulness over the face of the earth, the coming of stupidity and tastelessness, is treated in the same way as the coming of civilization is in the Aeneid ( see also the metaphor of translatio studii ).
John Gay's Trivia and Beggar's Opera were mock-heroic ( the latter in opera ), and Samuel Johnson's London is a mock-heroic of a sort.

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