The Rape of the Lock Essay example -- The Rape of the Lock Alexander P

The Rape of the Lock Pope's portrayal of Belinda and her society in 'The Rape of the Lock' This Lock, the Muse shall consecrate to Fame, And mid'st the Stars inscribe Belinda's Name! In 'The Rape of the Lock' Alexander Pope (1688-1744) employs a mock-epic style to satirise the 'beau-monde' (fashionable world, society of the elite) of eighteenth century England. The richness of the poem, however, reveals more than a straightforward satirical attack. Alongside the criticism we can detect Pope's fascination with, and perhaps admiration for, Belinda and the society in which she moves. Pope himself was not part of the 'beau-monde'. He knew the families on which the poem is based but his own parents, though probably comfortably off, were not so rich or of the class one would have to be in to move in Belinda's circle. He associated with learned men and poets, and there can have been little common ground between the company he kept at Will's Coffee House and those who frequented Hampton Court. The incident at the centre of the poem is the Baron's theft of a lock of hair and the ensuing estrangement of two families. The opening lines of the poem introduce the reader to the satirical stance he is taking towards the society portrayed in the poem. What dire Offence from am'rous Causes springs, What mighty Contests rise from trivial Things, [I.1-2] Pope suggests that they are taking a trivial incident too seriously, displaying an exaggerated sense of their own importance. Throughout the poem Pope continues to make this point through his use of the mock-epic style, which itself takes a trivial incident too seriously, and uses disproportionately grand language to describe an unworthy subject. Belinda is belittled earl... ...y men of the age. An affinity between them is revealed by Pope's empathy, fine judgements, and carefully aimed criticisms, and Pope must have been at least a little fascinated by the 'beau-monde' to apply his talents to this poem which, in an ironic way, celebrates Belinda and her world and, as Pope himself suggests in the final couplet of the poem, has preserved them for posterity. This Lock, the Muse shall consecrate to Fame, And mid'st the Stars inscribe Belinda's Name! [V.149-50] References Butt, John (Ed). The Poems of Alexander Pope. A one-volume edition of the Twickenham text with selected annotations. London. Methuen & Co Ltd. 1963. First published in University Paperbacks 1965, Reprinted with corrections 1968. Reprinted 1977 Bibliography Cunningham. The Rape of the Lock. Oxford University Press. 1971 Gordon. A Preface to Pope. Longman. 1976

In Cold Blood Book Review

If one is interested in reading a disturbingly detailed and factually based novel that chronicles the course and motives of complex crime, read Truman Capote’s â€Å"In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences. † If one scares easily, is squeamish or wants to avoid imagining a remorseless, brutal killer around every corner, do not. In his 1965 nonfiction novel, Capote paints a disturbingly vivid picture of the quadruple murder of the Clutters, a highly regarded and semi-wealthy farming family from Holcomb, Kansas.In Cold Blood examines the incentives and methods used by the killers, as well as the effect these murders had on the small Kansas town. â€Å"In Cold Blood,† what many consider Capote’s masterpiece, was one of the first novels of its kind: nonfiction. This genre requires an author to possess the â€Å"just the facts† attitude of a journalist, while still maintaining the ability to tell a detailed and aesthetical ly pleasing story. To write â€Å"In Cold Blood,† as a journalist would, Capote traveled to Holcomb.He planned to interview residents about their methods of coping with the tragedy. While in Holcomb, the Clutters’ murderers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, were caught. After that, Capote’s novel evolved into something more complex. He spent the next six years following the trial and interviewing the murderers and Holcomb residents. â€Å"In Cold Blood† showcases Capote’s true talent for both journalistic and prose writing. If one considers all the sources used in the novel, it is clear that an abundant amount of research and effort went into this work.In the acknowledgements preceding the novel, Capote wrote, â€Å"All the material in this book not derived from my own observation is either taken from official records or is the result of interviews with persons directly concerned, more often than not numerous interviews conducted over a considerable period of time. † Not only did he spend the better part of a decade conducting interviews and reviewing documents, but Capote also did his best to re-create the thoughts and feelings of those vital characters with whom he could not speak, the Clutter family.He did so through interviews with others and his own inferences. Additionally, he did the same to fill in any other character gaps. Because â€Å"In Cold Blood† is composed mostly of interviews, a large part of the novel is dialog. The dialog not only keeps readers interested, but also offers an insight directly into the mind of the killers and the townspeople. Words straight from the mouth of Perry Smith or Susan Kidwell resonate much better with readers than a simple paraphrase from Capote ever could. Readers cannot help but cringe and reach for their jugular as they read Smith’s graphic descriptions. I didn’t realize what I’d done till I heard the sound. Like somebody drowning. Screaming under water,† said Smith. Similarly, Kidwell’s account of the event adds an even deeper emotional aspect to the story. Her words are haunting. Of finding her friend that day, Kidwell said, â€Å"I don’t remember screaming. Nancy Ewalt says I did – screamed and screamed. I only remember Nancy’s Teddy bear staring at me. And Nancy. † Throughout â€Å"In Cold Blood,† Capote illustrates several journalistic characteristics, one of which being oddity.The murder of a nice family from a small town is certainly unusual, especially when no motives or suspects fit the case. Additionally, when the killers were caught, their indifference towards the crime varied drastically from what one would expect. Dick even said, â€Å"I know it is wrong. But at the time I never give any thought to whether it is right or wrong. The same with stealing. It seems to be an impulse. † â€Å"In Cold Blood† also demonstrates proximity and human interest. Hol comb, Kansas is comparable to Any-town, USA.Because this crime and location seemed to be, at first, so randomly chosen, they peak human interest. Capote did a great job emphasizing the consequential insecurity felt by the Holcomb residents. He instilled that fear into readers, and they are sure to assume that each bump in the night is Perry Smith sneaking lightly to their bedrooms. While Capote did quite well making â€Å"In Cold Blood† newsworthy, he failed to practice one important principal of journalism. Capote did not maintain an independence from those whom he covered, so his writing showed bias.In a novel that required so much research and so many interviews, it is understandable that Capote would become friendly and sympathetic of the Holcomb citizens. However, Capote became sympathetic of the killers, especially Smith. While Perry murdered the Clutter family, Capote so obviously favored him over Dick. Throughout the novel, Smith is described as a gentle man with a co nscience, and it is indicated that he may have mental problems. Capote’s characterization of Smith was designed to make readers pity him.Dick, on the other hand, is almost always portrayed as a heartless and brutal man who is fully responsible for his actions. In the end of the novel, Capote even alludes to the radical idea that Perry should not receive the death penalty. All in all, â€Å"In Cold Blood† is a well-written and interesting novel not designed for the weak of heart. Capote’s masterpiece is sure send a shiver up readers’ spines and leave paranoia in their minds. Capote does show some bias in his writing, but given the situations, it is understandable.

Why Is Love So Complicated - 1212 Words

Vanessa Hernandez Regalado Mrs. King Senior English-1 30 January 2015 Background Essay Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.--Maria Robinson. Scholars believe that the Renaissance was the â€Å"rebirth† of a new time period due to the Black Plague that killed more than half of Eastern European population. Many individuals saw it as a new page of life. During this era there were many inventions created like the pocket watch, telescope, art and education. Famous writers like William Shakespeare, Sir Walter Raleigh, Christopher Marlowe, and Edmund Spenser wrote literature about love, tragedy, exploration or drama. Many of these writers left many doubts that haven’t been answered up to this day. For instance â€Å"Why is love so complicated?† was one of the many questions that was left. Many could say that love is complicated because one person from the relationship isn’t putting their part into the relationship. However, during the Renaissance era one could say what caused love to be so complicated was education, religion and the new Church of England. Throughout history education was not a subject people saw as a main priority in one’s life. Society started to consider education as something valuable until the Renaissance period. However education was not equal between men and women. Men were allowed to receive an education as a humanist. While in contrast, it was rare for a female to actually have a school education, butShow MoreRelatedA Midsummer Night s Dream852 Words   |  4 PagesIntro Paragraph:In the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare.Shakespeare portrays four different kinds of love,parental love,romantic love and complicated love.The way I see what he shows us readers is that love is in a way connected to life because life is very unpredictable since no one’s what will happen tomorrow in a way love is the same way it is very unpredictable because you never know where is might end up. Just like in the play who knew if Hermia and Lysander will end upRead MoreThe Lone Ranger And Ton to Fistfight In Heaven Analysis929 Words   |  4 PagesBecause it portrays a different aspect of emotions you wouldnt assume were complicated to understand. For instance, you have happiness portrayed in a limelight you wouldnt usually put it under. Also the characters in they are always under a sense of dread which can easily drown out other emotions. The book can represent an emotion, such as love and interprets it in ways others may not call it. I will now show you some reasons why these points matter . The chapter â€Å"The approximate size of my favoriteRead MoreHuman Sexuality Essay1238 Words   |  5 Pageshyper-sexual and affectionate. As clichà © as it sounds, sometimes relationships are simply â€Å"complicated†. Such is the case in the film It’s Complicated. Just as the relationships depicted within the film are complex and complicated, so are relationships in real life. The name of the film It’s Complicated pretty much speaks for itself. It is a romantic comedy that addresses some really important sexual issues. The reason why I chose this film is because it displays a new perspective on relationships. ChoosingRead MoreDifferent Aspects Of True Love1288 Words   |  6 Pages Different aspects of true Love Thus is the nature of love: that you must use it! A love unused is not love! If it is something that sits on the shelf that you don t know what to do with, it is not true to the nature of love! Use love!† by C. JoyBell C. According to this quote love is something that you have to use it when you have in your life but the understanding of true love is different for everyone. It depends on the situation what someone is suffering. â€Å"Desperate characters† and â€Å"WhatRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s View Of Love1426 Words   |  6 Pagesseems to be Shakespeare’s view of love in poems. Shakespeare had ways of including hidden meaning and messages that many people do not even know today because they do not understand or it is unfound. Although it difficult at times to understand the messages that Shakespeare was trying to convey, we still get a good sense of what the overall main idea of his poems are which has to do mostly with love. According to Shakespeare-onli ne, Herford writes, â€Å"Although love is the overarching theme of the sonnetsRead MoreThe Oedipus Complex ( Oedipus )1666 Words   |  7 PagesIt has been said by Karl Taro Greenfield that: â€Å"The harsh truth of every relationship, even between those who love each other, like fathers and sons and daughters, or husbands and wives, is that the love is always unequal†. When a child is little, everything their parents do is seen as perfect, a parent can do no wrong. As a child grows older, they start to see that their parents are in fact flawed and this can cause an inward conflict for the child. Psychology has done a lot of research about familyRead MoreAnalysis Of Winterson s Passion1414 Words   |  6 Pagesthese terms and concept to switch back and forth makes this reading complicated for the readers to dissect that is the reason why this book is pleasurable to read. Winterson has experimented with the art of seduction through her writing style in â€Å"Passion†. Villanelle has been characterized as a sexually active woman who is loved by many men however, her heart had been stolen by the Queen of Spade which prevents her from falling in love. For a short time, Winterson has successfully made the readers sympathizeRead MoreEmotional Detachment in Soldiers Home Essay526 Words   |  3 Pagespossible, more than likely a stark contrast to his life in Europe. Krebs is a detached being who just wants to keep his life as uncomplicated as possible. He doesnt receive the same hearty welcome as his fellow soldiers, thanks to his returning home so much later than the rest. At first he doesnt want to talk about the war, presumably because of the atrocities he experienced there, but when he later feels the need to talk about it, no one wants to listen (154). The only way for Krebs to get a reactionRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem When I Have Fears 846 Words   |  4 Pageswith their love: such as â€Å"breath† rhyming with â€Å"death.† The rhymed words help solidify the image in a reader’s mind. He wants to live a life that goes on without change. He knows the star is lonely, so he does not want to be enitrely like it; he is more so concerned with the immortality aspect it presents. The apostrophe helps add an emotional intensity to the poem. It delves deep into the emotional intensity of wanting to be with your love fore ver. Another focus of it is the topic of love. While theRead MoreThe Schooner Flight By Derek Walcott1353 Words   |  6 Pagesstill feels compassionate towards the island and his family. This complicated situation makes leaving all the more difficult for him, which the author relays to the audience through this poem. In lines 44-69 of Derek Walcott’s poem The Schooner Flight, literary devices such as metaphor, alliteration and simile, and imagery further convey how the speaker feels when leaving the island, as well as why he must do so even with his love for his home, Marà ­a Concepcion, and his family. In lines 44-69, the