English @ SUNY Geneseo | Site-Wide Activity https://sunygeneseoenglish.org/activity/ Activity feed for the entire site. Tue, 20 Oct 2026 21:38:03 -0500 https://buddypress.org/?v= en-US 30 hourly 2 1b624b84f857aeb1718cd784daa5b34f Maggie Martin commented on the post, The Thresher's Labour, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-threshers-labour/#comment-543 Mon, 19 Oct 2026 21:15:17 -0500 Annotations for lines 276-281 I sense some irony and criticism in these lines. While the master invited the workers to feast with him, it feels like there is some mockery when the narrator says that “he, too […]

]]> 015a3109dc358778ee73150c114bb3a4 Maggie Martin commented on the post, The Thresher's Labour, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-threshers-labour/#comment-542 Mon, 19 Oct 2026 20:57:00 -0500 Annotations for lines 137-142 The use of repetition in these lines helps readers to understand what kind of sustenance is served to those working. This also helps to show that no matter how much (which isn’t […]

]]> b159f77f467982fe749b5b60300ed463 Maggie Martin commented on the post, The Thresher's Labour, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-threshers-labour/#comment-541 Mon, 19 Oct 2026 20:48:38 -0500 Annotation for lines43-48 The imagery in these lines helps the reader visualize the labor conditions people were forced to endure during this time. In line 43, “briny streams our sweat descends” is a vivid […]

]]> b7e9a73690d5501934757bc1a8c5d987 Franco Justincic commented on the post, The Woman's Labour: To Mr. Stephen Duck, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-womans-labour-to-mr-stephen-duck/#comment-540 Mon, 19 Oct 2026 17:06:54 -0500 My comment above is the [connect] comment

]]> 316b18444d835b00b5580fb00ff06c56 Franco Justincic commented on the post, The Woman's Labour: To Mr. Stephen Duck, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-womans-labour-to-mr-stephen-duck/#comment-539 Mon, 19 Oct 2026 17:05:15 -0500 Here she’s saying that women work so hard but still end up poor. They do all this work and don’t really get much back for it. I think she’s showing how unfair it is.  

]]> 50c360ef7a95ac3fc42fc1820aa90e65 Franco Justincic commented on the post, The Woman's Labour: To Mr. Stephen Duck, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-womans-labour-to-mr-stephen-duck/#comment-538 Mon, 19 Oct 2026 16:56:05 -0500 This shows how much work women have to do every day. They work in the fields and then still have to go home and take care of their kids and do more work. They barely get any time to rest.  

]]> 31531286fba5ceaeef29609aa47198b0 Franco Justincic commented on the post, The Woman's Labour: To Mr. Stephen Duck, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-womans-labour-to-mr-stephen-duck/#comment-537 Mon, 19 Oct 2026 16:51:14 -0500 Collier is basically calling Duck out because he makes it seem like women don’t work as hard as men. She’s showing that women work just as hard and deserve credit too.  

]]> b23a06b8732b1e10a68040d2050f4616 Franco Justincic commented on the post, The Thresher's Labour, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-threshers-labour/#comment-536 Mon, 19 Oct 2026 16:43:19 -0500 In this part they talk about how the workers barely get any time to relax because they are always working. They get up early and go to bed late, and even their days off aren’t really free. I think it shows how […]

]]> d3044d385c50a0801d52818d0bddcc47 Franco Justincic commented on the post, The Thresher's Labour, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-threshers-labour/#comment-535 Mon, 19 Oct 2026 16:39:04 -0500 Throughout this part the workers are happy to be working outside instead of inside, but once it gets hot, they start getting really tired. I think it shows that even when they get to do something different, the […]

]]> 008a6fbda557bc641c22da83d451e8cf Franco Justincic commented on the post, The Thresher's Labour, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-threshers-labour/#comment-534 Mon, 19 Oct 2026 16:33:28 -0500 I noticed how hard the workers have to work and how the master is always pushing them to do more. Even when they are already tired, he still wants them to work faster. I think it shows how hard and unfair their lives were.  

]]> a85773f18011f1bc5be62e8dfecc1997 Anna commented on the post, Canto I, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-i/#comment-533 Mon, 12 Oct 2026 17:12:08 -0500 What isn’t clear to me here is why Belinda is described as worshipping the “Cosmetic pow’rs” and beginning the “sacred rites of Pride.” I understand that she is getting ready in front of her mirror, but I’m not s […]

]]> 81709a873d9d75501a6d087a2e9c6ffb Anna commented on the post, Canto I, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-i/#comment-532 Mon, 12 Oct 2026 17:11:37 -0500 What isn’t clear to me here is what Ariel means when he says that spirits used to be enclosed in “Woman’s beauteous mould” before moving into “these of air.” Is he saying that the spirits were once women who died […]

]]> 70eccfe1435b5dc0d67aae025ce83af7 Waylon Mattimore commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-v/#comment-531 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 22:01:15 -0500 I feel like Pope is using these high society items and clothing as weapons in some type of battle. This makes the fight seem more dramatic and a little humorous. the fact that these fighters are not fighters at […]

]]> 05de4c259ccff94e79d00a5fd48db08b Waylon Mattimore commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-v/#comment-530 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 21:50:58 -0500 I feel like lock is trying to talk about beauty fading as you get older in these lines. Clarissa is talking about how you will lose your beauty in hair no matter how hard you try and maintain it.

]]> 9dfe54edec9f45fb6226bb346c114e07 Waylon Mattimore commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iv/#comment-529 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 21:39:34 -0500 Is Belinda comparing herself to roses that bloom where no one can see them? Roses blooming in the desert aren’t an attraction for people to go and see. I feel like this reveals her feelings as she wishes to be […]

]]> 5c6ab1ce0dd3095e5b301ee52b484103 Waylon Mattimore commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iv/#comment-528 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 21:35:16 -0500 I feel like Pope is using the fire to describe Belinda’s anger. Thalestris “fans” this fire to get her more and more angry. This might be showing how a friend or relation’s reaction can make things worse sometimes.

]]> 3af88c5de1fa88acf4194fb36982b2d4 Waylon Mattimore commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-527 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 21:22:58 -0500 I feel like Pope is criticizing the justice system in these lines. He is creating a world where these officials are living a good life. I think the dine ending works really well. They have a really important […]

]]> 7cb27a95d5bd3613a1617f6904416960 Waylon Mattimore commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-526 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 21:17:23 -0500 It seems to me that Belinda is getting a haircut even though her hair seems “sacred.” I think that the repetition of “for ever” represents the exaggerated loss of her hair. Maybe this shows how beauty and […]

]]> 9dcc9eb6ba451c16c40c964c89264207 Anya Clark commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-v/#comment-525 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 21:12:54 -0500 Religion is mentioned a few times throughout the poem such as here, when Belinda wears a cross that the infidels admire, the alters, etc. Pope is using religion in a satirical manner to expose the impious and […]

]]> 0c4c71140ad983e2ebf467add1ee0e8d Anya Clark commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-v/#comment-524 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 21:03:56 -0500 [Not half so fix’d the Trojan could remain,] The comparison of this story in “The Rape of the Lock” and the history and story of the fall of Troy might be doing more than providing social and political c […]

]]> bbbc54f1d6dba06e10e9dc6cb999fce4 Anya Clark commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iv/#comment-523 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 20:47:10 -0500 [ Men prove with child, as pow’rful fancy works,] This line is very interesting. All the other changes involve inanimate objects coming alive and taking on human qualities or with the maids, turning into i […]

]]> 4075b486179f27a938a9fc44be70cdeb Anya Clark commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iv/#comment-522 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 20:35:52 -0500 [E’er felt such rage, resentment, and despair,/ As thou, sad Virgin! for thy ravish’d Hair.] Here, Pope uses Cynthia to juxtapose Belinda’s reaction and suffering. After the Baron cuts off Belinda’s hair, as p […]

]]> 78144942c99925720ce1e40d4c5f41e3 Anya Clark commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-521 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 20:28:04 -0500 [Few ask, if fraud or force attain’d his ends.] Perhaps Pope is making social commentary on society. After creating the image of an adverse and hostile scene of what the Baron wants to do to Belinda, Pope w […]

]]> 6593acdfd4a6f0c222e505a9d393f751 Anya Clark commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-520 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 20:20:51 -0500 [Her lively looks a sprightly mind disclose,/ Quick as her eyes, and as unfix’d as those:/ Favours to none, to all she smiles extends;/ Oft she rejects, but never once offends.] How Pope describes Belinda being […]

]]> 092f49251c68e37529c7f16380167e7d Anya Clark commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-519 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 20:08:54 -0500 These two stanzas containing lines 47-74 describe and dramatize the card game (at least I think so). Pope has personified the cards and game. “Led off two captive trumps, and swept the board.” “Gain’d but […]

]]> 9f47ce4ce671027c6e9d34fe9cef82e2 Anya Clark commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-518 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 19:45:04 -0500 [In glitt’ring dust and painted fragments lie!] This stanza is really interesting. It’s contrasting terror with beauty. Pope is making Belinda’s horror and terror seem like “living lightning from her eyes,” ” […]

]]> 7e063be6f47da73a47684545c839b761 Julia Gartley commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-v/#comment-517 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 16:25:04 -0500 I was unclear in some of my other comments about what I mean when I use the word “trivial.” With this comment about Othello and others that I made about epic poems or Greek tragedies, I meant to point out examples […]

]]> a8bcf0b919e5c064c27e6d1fd9160a34 Francesca Mastrangelo commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-516 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 14:13:18 -0500 When I hear the word “Altar”, I think of religion. The Pope presents the idea that the Baron is somewhat religious by building this Altar to pray for Belinda’s love. The descritption of this altar is extremely […]

]]> 312e74b38d04451af4f19e0706a10127 Francesca Mastrangelo commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-515 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 14:01:46 -0500 Pope uses the sun to compare to Belinda’s behavior. He uses phrases like “rival of his beams”, “bright as the sun, her eyes gazers strike” “and like th sun, they shine on all alike”. Belinda flaunts her beauty or […]

]]> fa01d0f01342d6bc6966737635acd3dc Julia Gartley commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-v/#comment-514 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:25:20 -0500 [But trust the Muse — she saw it upward rise] Referencing the muse is another epic convention, and it lends some ironic gravitas to the conclusion of this ridiculous battle.

]]> f16dda8220e7235cd0157c6bbaaf0083 Julia Gartley commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-v/#comment-513 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:22:00 -0500 [Not fierce Othello in so loud a strain Roar’d for the handkerchief that caus’d his pain.] In Othello, the titular character is convinced that his wife Desdemona is cheating on him when a handkerchief that he g […]

]]> 613496a0289933f3958af0155043f4c2 Julia Gartley commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iv/#comment-512 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 11:35:08 -0500 In lines 77 and 78, the words that complete the heroic couplet, chagrin and spleen, at least with my American accent, don’t rhyme perfectly. The poem up until this point is almost perfectly sing-songy, so this […]

]]> 2262bbb3b30ccffc1cf2772b1310b3bf Julia Gartley commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iv/#comment-511 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 11:27:50 -0500 In humoral theory, the spleen was thought to be the organ that produced black bile, which made a person melancholic. Here, Pope creates the Cave of Spleen, which is probably a place of melancholy.

]]> 4377e1e4bd12d26fbb613979c593f580 Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-v/#comment-510 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:58:30 -0500 In lines 45-52, Pope utilizes the mock-epic style to its fullest extent. In these lines, Pope compares the perceivably petty battle between high society individuals of the time period as something comparable to […]

]]> e93e22bd17a05e79ee0eb798831d25c9 Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-v/#comment-509 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:52:21 -0500 Here, Pope reinforces his mockery of the obsession and superficiality of beauty in high society. In this line, Pope explains that what truly matters is good sense, as beauty may gain these women a lot temporarily, […]

]]> 6ea815f2cf1c1db0bf18bc2c02c80494 Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iv/#comment-508 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:43:41 -0500 In lines 83-84, the Goddess of Spleen collects the force of “female lungs” which turn out to be sighs, sobs, passions, and the war of tongues. This reinforces a stereotype of the time period where women were […]

]]> 17b344af05cec24508dec3b29fb7848c Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iv/#comment-507 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:37:38 -0500 Again, Belinda is referred to in a way that has a sexual connotation. Being referred to as a “prude” typically refers to someone overly modest or proper. However, there is also the aspect of Pope mocking Belinda’s […]

]]> 497744d69246aff2d794c87da842b642 Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-506 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:25:44 -0500 This line establishes a pattern from canto II, where Belinda is talked about in an almost predatory way. She is referred to as “The Virgin”, making her “purity” the subject in this line rather than her name or […]

]]> ab531973a32686c4d2fe417fc3eae1c9 Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-505 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:13:58 -0500 Pope displays a pattern throughout the cantos of this theme of mockery of high society. The mock-epic itself, and then also the way he speaks about high society is satirical and critical. In this line, he refers […]

]]> cf2fdac54edcf932d3517b600cabc9bc Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-504 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:02:48 -0500 Belinda is now protected by fifty Sylphs who see the harm that the Baron is trying to cause her, and immediately take action. However, while this is a mock-epic from Pope, it still feels overkill in a way. It […]

]]> 750acc950c174a5c85afcbaee2d0a0ad Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-503 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 08:44:05 -0500 There are very specific word choices from Pope in this line, as the line itself is referring to taking a lock of Belinda’s hair. The words “force”, “ravish”, and “fraud” are words that we would normally associate […]

]]> 2ee599c03179b649a3fd2ed544c6a4c6 Kristina Neos commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-502 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 04:44:42 -0500 Pope describes a simple card game using the language of war with the players preparing “in arms” and later saying the cards as troops. I think it’s quite interesting how he keeps making ordinary social activities […]

]]> 24c52659eab38c6a458612a2f0419829 Kristina Neos commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-501 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 04:42:19 -0500 I feel like it’s interesting that Pope puts the Queen taking political “counsel” and drinking tea right next to each other, almost making them sound just as important as each other. This is adding to the pattern […]

]]> 0f0cc731dc5240658f7c4564e5152513 Kristina Neos commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-500 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 04:40:19 -0500 I feel Pope is creating a big contrast between spirits who protect entire nations and the Sylphs who protect women’s beauty and looks. It’s kind of interesting that he describes both jobs so seriously, even though […]

]]> e9148e4c41992d396843694752270314 Waylon Mattimore commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-499 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 04:39:45 -0500 Pope describes in these lines how having Belinda’s petticoat is like guarding it on a important military mission. I feel like this creates some sort of humor as if guarding this coat with your life is being described here.

]]> 7b5f8c8dd14dce460bd46a072c5c1af9 Waylon Mattimore commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-498 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 04:36:28 -0500 Pope is talking about serious concerns like reputation while also writing about damaged clothing and missed parties. I feel like these comparisons highlight this high society life that seems to consider […]

]]> e269fc7bf42d17042e0572a8eaebbfb7 Kristina Neos commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-497 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 04:34:29 -0500 Pope seems like he’s trying to create progression from the Baron seeing the lock and wanting it, and then deciding he is going to win it. I noticed that he calls the lock a “prize,” which seems to turn Belinda […]

]]> aee0968b682be1f626afb97620859295 Kendra Brace commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-v/#comment-496 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 04:23:09 -0500 This sounds similar to Pope saying, “time must go on”. That even though this whole quarrel will be memorialized, people will come and go, and the sun will always set, and that it doesn’t really matter in the grand […]

]]> 90858e938a8e518b851123074adeb895 Kendra Brace commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iv/#comment-495 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 03:49:50 -0500 This line makes me think that Pope intended for the Sylphs and other fantastical creatures to be more than spirits that help Belinda, but also to represent her inner emotions, her feelings, and the inner workings […]

]]> 83a51c8339e57b0e5dbf70793bc5d0fb Kendra Brace commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-494 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 03:42:43 -0500 Pope writes this evil gloating monologue. It really helps develop this character into an antagonist. He’s selfish and cheers when he gets what he wants, even at the expense of others. He only looks after the prize […]

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