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Julia Gartley commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 1 hour, 33 minutes ago[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.
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Julia Gartley commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 1 hour, 36 minutes ago[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 […]
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Julia Gartley commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 2 hours, 23 minutes agoIn 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 […]
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Julia Gartley commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 2 hours, 31 minutes agoIn 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.
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Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 4 hours agoIn 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 […]
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Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 4 hours, 6 minutes agoHere, 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, […]
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Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 4 hours, 15 minutes agoIn 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 […]
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Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 4 hours, 21 minutes agoAgain, 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 […]
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Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 4 hours, 33 minutes agoThis 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 […]
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Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 4 hours, 45 minutes agoPope 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 […]
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Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 4 hours, 56 minutes agoBelinda 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 […]
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Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 5 hours, 14 minutes agoThere 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 […]
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Kristina Neos commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 9 hours, 14 minutes agoPope 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 […]
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Kristina Neos commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 9 hours, 16 minutes agoI 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 […]
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Kristina Neos commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 9 hours, 18 minutes agoI 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 […]
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Waylon Mattimore commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 9 hours, 19 minutes agoPope 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.
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Waylon Mattimore commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 9 hours, 22 minutes agoPope 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 […]
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Kristina Neos commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 9 hours, 24 minutes agoPope 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 […]
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Kendra Brace commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 9 hours, 35 minutes agoThis 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 […]
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Kendra Brace commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog
Eighteenth-Century Innovations 10 hours, 9 minutes agoThis 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 […]
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