Pope’s Rape of the Lock can be a difficult read, as it’s a longish poem in strict metrical verse. In the interests of comprehension, and in keeping with many of our assignments this term, I ask you to summarize each Canto of the poem. Use prose, and approach this as if you were writing a “plot summary” for SparkNotes. Try to include a few comments to summarize style and tone, as well.
Length will vary according to your ability to condense the poem, but a good length to aim for is 3-4 pages. You may use only a few direct quotes, and they should be single words or brief phrases—not whole lines or couplets! You should also indicate, by line, where each element in your summary occurs. For instance: “The poem opens in a heroic style undercut by the triviality of its stated theme (1.1-26). Belinda is revealed, still asleep well past sunrise (13-20), and her guardian sylph gives her a dream in which we learn about women’s follies and the dangers to which they are therefore subject (26-115).”