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Symbols
Belinda’s lock of hair comes to symbolize the absurdity of the importance afforded to female beauty in society. Pope offers a hyperbolically metaphorical description of the two locks in Canto II, humorously framing the locks as alluring enough to virtually incapacitate any man who looks at them. The locks are “labyrinths” in which Love “detains” “his slaves” by binding their hears with “slender chains,” thus poking fun at the idea that Belinda’s beauty is truly powerful enough to make such a deep impact. This absurdity only grows as the poem progresses and after the Baron has snipped of Belinda’s lock. Under the influence of Umbriel, Thalestris laments the loss of the lock as the symbolic loss of Belinda’s reputation in society, exclaiming, “Methinks already I your tears survey, / Already hear the horrid things they say.” In Pope’s day, the respectability of a woman in society depended upon her having a spotless reputation and being perfectly virtuous, and, in particular, sexually pure. Thalestris then is essentially saying that the loss of Belinda’s lock is a rupture which damages all of the rest of her beauty, and the Baron’s having taken it in so intimate a fashion compromises the idea that she is chaste, and that people will think she in some way allowed him to violate her body. Obviously, this makes very little sense, allowing Pope to satirize the idea that beauty and virtue are so closely related. The lock’s final ascension into the heavens is the most absurd part of the whole thing, and Pope’s choice to cap off the whole poem with the transparently silly idea that the lock is too precious to remain on earth, that no mortal deserves to be so “blest” as to possess it, emphasizes the ridiculous amount of emphasis placed on female beauty in society.
The Lock Quotes in The Rape of the Lock
The The Rape of the Lock quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Lock. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Canto II Quotes
Love in these labyrinths his slaves detains,
And mighty hearts are held in slender chains.
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This description of Belinda’s locks of hair occurs on her journey to Hampton Court, during which she is spotted by the Baron. Here Pope describes the locks as able to ensnare men with their remarkable beauty. In doing so, Pope is able to emphasize a number of key ideas in the poem about beauty and gender. For instance, the idea that Belinda’s hair is able to metaphorically overpower men’s “mighty hearts” and hold them captive subverts the more traditional idea that men are meant to be dominant and women are meant to be submissive. Characters like the Baron certainly buy Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asper
For this, ere Phoebus rose, he had implored
Propitious heaven, and every power adored,
But chiefly Love—to Love an altar built,
Of twelve vast French romances, neatly gilt.
There lay three garters, half a pair of gloves;
And all the trophies of his former loves.
With tender billets-doux he lights the pyre,
And breathes three amorous sighs to raise the fire
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As the Baron watches Belinda sail down the Thames towards Hampton Court in Canto II, the narrative jumps back to before dawn (“Phoebus” is another name for Apollo, the sun god), when the Baron had prayed to “heaven” and specifically to “Love” to be able to win Belinda’s lock. Earlier on, Pope poked fun at Belinda for metaphorically building a pagan-seeming altar out of her dressing table as she prepared for her day at court. But here, the Baron, a man who is supposedly without the “female errors” (such as vanity) to which Belinda is supposedly extra susceptible, makes his Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto vol
Canto IV Quotes
A wondrous bag with both her hands she binds,
Like that where once Ulysses held the winds;
There she collects the force of female lungs,
Sighs, sobs, and passions, and the war of tongues.
A vial next she fills with fainting fears,
Soft sorrows, melting griefs, and flowing tears.
The Gnome rejoicing bears her gifts away,
Spreads his black wings, and slowly mounts to day.
Sunk in Thalestris’ arms the nymph he found,
Her eyes dejected and her hair unbound.
Full o’er their heads the swelling bag he rent,
And all the furies issued at the vent.
Belinda burns with more than mortal ire,
And fierce Thalestris fans the rising fire.
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Towards the end of Canto IV, Umbriel acquires a “wondrous bag” and a “vial” from the Queen of Spleen, the ruler of a subterranean world. Her world is filled with nightmarish creatures contorted by the effects of spleen (thought in Pope’s day to be the medical cause behind a variety of forms of bodily dysfunction, particularly those pertaining to women’s bodies). At his request, the queen fills the bag with all kinds of female despair (“the force of female lungs, / Sighs, sobs, and passions, and the war of tongues”) while she fills the vial with “fainting fears, / Soft Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci vo
Canto V Quotes
But fate and Jove had stopped the Baron’s ears.
In vain Thalestris with reproach assails,
For who can move when fair Belinda fails?
Not half so fixed the Trojan could remain,
While Anna begged and Dido raged in vain.
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This description of Belinda’s pleading with the Baron to return her stolen lock at the beginning of Canto V is another instance of Pope playing off the classical epic tradition for comic effect. Here he is referencing Virgil’s Latin epic The Aeneid, in which the Trojan hero Aeneas is called on by Jupiter (also known as “Jove” in English) to leave his lover Dido and sail away to found Rome. The devastated Dido and her sister Anna beg Aeneas to stay, but having failed to persuade him, Dido ultimately kills herself. In this passage, the adamant Baron takes on the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis i
“Beauties in vain their pretty eyes may roll;
Charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul.”
So spoke the dame, but no applause ensued;
Belinda frowned, Thalestris called her prude.
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This passage occurs towards the end of Clarissa’s speech in Canto V, in which she chastises the assembled company of lords and ladies for behaving so foolishly. She reminds them that, while the loss of the lock seems dramatic, it is ultimately not very important since beauty is not as valuable as virtue. Beauty might attract the eyes, but virtue attracts the soul, so it is pointless to quarrel over such a trivial thing as a ruined hairdo. The clear-headedness of this speech is emphasized by the fact that Clarissa’s name literally means “clarity,” suggesting she is a wise character Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. D
All side in parties, and begin the attack;
Fans clap, silks rustle, and tough whalebones crack;
Heroes’ and heroines’ shouts confusedly rise,
And bass and treble voices strike the skies.
No common weapons in their hands are found,
Like gods they fight, nor dread a mortal wound.
So when bold Homer makes the gods engage,
And heavenly breasts with human passions rage;
’Gainst Pallas, Mars; Latona, Hermes arms;
And all Olympus rings with loud alarms.
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This is a description of the courtly battle that ensues in Canto V after the Baron refuses to return Belinda’s lock. Belinda and Thalestris, having scoffed at Clarissa’s speech on the unimportance of beauty, lead the charge against the Baron and his crew of aristocratic cronies. Here Pope once again draws out the silliness of the world of the court and its values by evoking a comparison with the battles of classical epics. While the struggles depicted in epic involve huge clashes between gods (like “Pallas, Mars; Latona, Hermes”) and are incredibly high stakes, Pope makes it clear that this Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas de
When those fair suns shall set, as set they must,
And all those tresses shall be laid in dust;
This lock, the Muse shall consecrate to fame,
And midst the stars inscribe Belinda’s name!
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These final lines of the poem occur after Belinda’s lock has mysteriously disappeared from the courtly battle and has ascended into the heavens to become a constellation. But in these final lines Pope appears to finally settle the question of the value of beauty which has recurred throughout the poem. He often paints Belinda’s and the court’s interest in her looks as morally wrong, since all looks ultimately fade, as Clarissa notes in her speech. On the other hand, he emphasizes that the superficiality of the world she lives in at least partially justifies Belinda’s concerns about her beauty, as Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum
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The Lock Symbol Timeline in The Rape of the Lock
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Lock appears in The Rape of the Lock. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Canto II
Belinda’s hair, “to the destruction of mankind,” is styled into two beautiful curls. These locks of hair are so attractive that any man who looks on them is overcome with...
(full context)
...look after her earrings, Momentilla will look after her watch, Crispissa will look after her lock, and Ariel himself will look after her Shock.
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Canto III
...which heads to the Baron’s brain and reminds him of his plan to steal Belinda’s lock, even though the narrative voice once again wishes he would stop before it’s too late,...
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...courtly romance arming a knight with his weapon. The Baron moves to chop off the lock. Suddenly, all the sylphs hurry to Belinda’s neck and attempt to fiddle with her hair...
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...his shock—finds “An earthly lover lurking there.” This resigns him to the loss of the lock. The Baron snips it off.
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...the Baron shouts out his victory. The narrative voice muses on how little chance the lock had against the scissors, since steel “could the labor of the gods destroy, / And...
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Canto IV
Belinda is still quite upset about the loss of her lock, and her frustration and despair are deeper and more consuming than the despair of “ardent...
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...finds Belinda in the arms of Thalestris, a lady at court, who is lamenting the lock’s loss. She asks if it was for this that Belinda took such pains with her...
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...snuff box and fashionable cane. He confronts the Baron and demands that he return the lock to Belinda, but the Baron refuses. He says that although it is a pity that...
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...she didn’t understand until it was too late. She wishes to tear off the remaining lock, feeling that it “tempts once more” the Baron’s “sacrilegious hands.”
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Canto V
...he already is by the flames of Cupid. She screams at him to return the lock, as angrily as the character Othello screams for the handkerchief in the play by Shakespeare.
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But, mysteriously, the lock is nowhere to be found. The narrative voice muses that the lock was perhaps too...
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...voice continues, affirming that the “beau monde,” or the fashionable world, will gaze on the lock in the skies from “the Mall,” and that lovers will often mistake it for the...
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...voice addresses Belinda herself, telling her not to be sad over the loss of her lock, since its position in the sky means that it will be all the more admired...
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