English @ SUNY Geneseo | Gillian Paku | Friends Activity https://sunygeneseoenglish.org/members/gillianpaku/activity/friends/ Activity feed for Gillian Paku's friends. Fri, 02 Oct 2026 19:53:01 -0500 https://buddypress.org/?v= en-US 30 hourly 2 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 […]

]]> 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 […]

]]> b4fab74ca1e494daee808cd6ce19390f Ella Mercier commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-v/#comment-461 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:53:45 -0500 In lines 15 and 16, Pope is arguing that while beauty can gain power (like what Montagu was talking about), it is not enough to hold on to it. One might be beautiful, but in order to really do something with their […]

]]> dd9d4b1b94fc5be21e8fcaa5b76284b9 Ella Mercier commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-v/#comment-460 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:46:49 -0500 In this line, Pope is sarcastically saying that all of what just happened throughout the story occurred over a lock of hair, and this story will now be told over and over again.

]]> cf1c2eab64a0f89fb7e7c801b6cf06fe Ella Mercier commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iv/#comment-459 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:45:04 -0500 In this line Pope is making fun of what he deems “superficial” women by saying that to them a pimple is the worst thing that can happen to them.

]]> cc14385350dc900da273571d3659b99d Ella Mercier commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iv/#comment-458 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:40:29 -0500 In lines 3-8, alongside the Iambic Pentameter that Pope is writing in, he also repeated the word “not” at the beginning of each line, to really emphasize Belinda’s rage.

]]> fae26ff385d6201af55ed8b9ae3e7908 Ella Mercier commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-457 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:31:05 -0500 Pope is referencing playing cards here, to show how disorderly the troops are in that moment, by comparing them to shuffled playing cards, he is giving the reader a clear vision of the chaos.

]]> 8273204b1d9dc5e22c3fba22a5b7c781 Ella Mercier commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-456 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:27:04 -0500 Pope here is saying that the fairy queens’ powers are “soft like flowers”, implying that even though they do have powers, they are not as strong as the fairy kings’. (This is where this comment is supposed to go, […]

]]> f3f41151860acac7c7c35c6085031b3b Ella Mercier commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-455 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:26:11 -0500 Wait not this line sorry I don’t know how this comment ended up here.

]]> 1a1cf392877fc787c7a3ce38d458edd5 Ella Mercier commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-454 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:25:31 -0500 Pope here is saying that the fairy queens’ powers are “soft like flowers”, implying that even though they do have powers, they are not as strong as the fairy kings’.

]]> 02e8c9fb29b58a07d919a8621d0da407 Maggie Martin commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iv/#comment-453 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:24:54 -0500 Annotation for lines 107-110 Reputation is at the forefront of every aristocrat’s mind; if they have a bad reputation, they are tainted. Pope here is comparing Belinda losing a lock of her hair to someone’s […]

]]> ef900f5951ab960c01a79e9d6f23f9d7 Maggie Martin commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iv/#comment-451 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:20:46 -0500 Annotating lines 1-10 Pope again uses a mocking tone when talking about Belinda’s incident. The exaggerated language about Belinda’s response to losing some hair makes fun of the situation as a whole. Pope […]

]]> 386e9bdac6f881c2633d9e04ebe7ccac Ella Mercier commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-449 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:02:59 -0500 In this whole stanza, Pope is describing Belinda’s beauty, but also comparing her to a trap. Like what Maggie said a couple lines up, he is comparing love to a Labyrinth, which is full of traps, but I think that […]

]]> ec6c274387f3dc37bb631267f91314aa Ella Mercier commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-448 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:11 -0500 In this line and the next one, the author is establishing that the woman that he is describing is beloved, and worshipped, by the people around her. However, she is still a devout Christian (the cross on her neck […]

]]> 73d45c755d05d2c56101da87a3073f22 Maggie Martin commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-447 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:35:56 -0500 Annotation for lines 155-158 The first couple of lines try to make the situation (Belinda losing some strands of hair) seem serious and horrifying. There are “screams” and “shrieks,” and Pope is trying to show […]

]]> 183bd8878f51c6d246985962b0b9f915 Maggie Martin commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-446 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:24:02 -0500 Annotation for lines 66-68 What’s interesting to me is that Pope seems to personify ‘fate’ in this part of the stanza. Instead of fate being a force, it’s framed as a person who has the ability to shift the […]

]]> 84422e97580c53e3f9bc41d714d21bed Hannah Doles commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-v/#comment-445 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:23:23 -0500 [Which adds new glory to the shining sphere! Leave a comment on line 142 0 ¶ 143 Not all the tresses that fair head can boast, Leave a comment on line 143 0 ¶ 144 Shall draw such envy as the Lock you lost. Leave a […]

]]> ad280debf9acd8947117c90504a44432 Hannah Doles commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-v/#comment-444 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:16:01 -0500 [How vain are all these glories, all our pains, Leave a comment on line 15 0 ¶ 16 Unless good sense preserve what beauty gains:] Clarissa argues that beauty means very little without good sense and character. […]

]]> cac1d451dbd99c06c61defe83aacefd5 Maggie Martin commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-443 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:14:42 -0500 Annotation for lines 23-24  It’s quite interesting to see Pope compare love to a labyrinth with slaves and chains, almost making love a physical thing. Labyrinths are often associated with traps, twists, and […]

]]> f9dd661ac2e984fcc3f7d7e20c478e47 Hannah Doles commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iv/#comment-442 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:08:48 -0500 [And bids her Beau demand the precious hairs; Leave a comment on line 122 0 ¶ 123 (Sir Plume of amber snuff-box justly vain, Leave a comment on line 123 0 ¶ 124 And the nice conduct of a clouded cane) Leave a c […]

]]> 6a481e7184b418066f31ca2d40f02e44 Hannah Doles commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iv/#comment-441 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:02:58 -0500 [Not youthful kings in battle seiz’d alive, Leave a comment on line 3 0 ¶ 4 Not scornful virgins who their charms survive, Leave a comment on line 4 0 ¶ 5 Not ardent lovers robb’d of all their bliss, Leave a comme […]

]]> 26e5de674891456f215b59e40bce1fcb Maggie Martin commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-440 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 22:53:44 -0500 Annotation for lines 5-12  The tone seems quite playful here. The descriptions of Belinda seem overly exaggerated. This makes her attributes seem much more ‘great’ than what aristocrats are like. Pope then d […]

]]> 613a37625a35a4d592dcf60d830e2efc Hannah Doles commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-439 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 22:51:42 -0500 [(The victory cry’d) the glorious Prize is mine!] After cutting the lock, the Baron talks about his “glorious prize” as if he has accomplished something historically important. He even compares the lasting […]

]]> 0eccd9a286bdb52bfaefb79c1b7aaaea Hannah Doles commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-438 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 22:47:54 -0500 [Too soon dejected, and too soon elate. Leave a comment on line 102 0 ¶ 103 Sudden, these honours shall be snatch’d away, Leave a comment on line 103 0 ¶ 104 And curs’d for ever this victorious day. Leave a comme […]

]]> 694929c01951e0cf2a171ea65ce7fa5b Hannah Doles commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-436 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 22:41:35 -0500 [To fifty chosen Sylphs, of special note, Leave a comment on line 117 0 ¶ 118 We trust th’ important charge, the Petticoat: Leave a comment on line 118 0 ¶ 119 Oft have we known that seven-fold fence to fai […]

]]> 7d903d73261dd3c900f5bb77a23cb3f2 Hannah Doles commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-435 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 22:34:03 -0500 [Love in these labyrinths his slaves detains, Leave a comment on line 23 0 ¶ 24 And mighty hearts are held in slender chains. Leave a comment on line 24 1 ¶ 25 With hairy springes we the birds betray, Leave a c […]

]]> 47c3d2945119ed7ca3f8b8a1092534d0 Elisabeth Small commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-v/#comment-432 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 22:26:09 -0500 This epic poem appears almost as a war against sexes. While women are groomed to be beautiful invalids, men are posed as endowed and manly. While this epic fight is using trinkets, snuff and bodkins, unlikely […]

]]> d2e8c1244a84586b241a52520fa2f6e3 Elisabeth Small commented on the post, Canto V, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-v/#comment-431 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 22:23:27 -0500 Pope continuously criticizes the superficiality and objective value of people, urging people to look deeper beyond the surface value of a person. In line 16, he states, “Unless good sense preserve what beauty […]

]]> d2284babddc8e7a5fdd62eb5d53a3e72 Elisabeth Small commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iv/#comment-430 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 22:17:17 -0500 Pope is criticizing how far people can reduce themselves when in dismay or chaos. Those who pray most are those who are in crisis, even if they are not religious. Pope is revealing the power mischief can create […]

]]> 809fd55e4878c6a775b0b8014e9b5e0d Elisabeth Small commented on the post, Canto IV, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iv/#comment-429 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 22:13:08 -0500 Pope frames this aspect of the Cave of Spleen with women who are so afflicted with leisure, that it has made them sick. While they are not revered as having a true medical disorder, terms such as vapor eludes to […]

]]> 98b85fcc9364aaba22239fd9299c9f34 Elisabeth Small commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-428 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 21:59:58 -0500 Despite reflecting on the story of Scylla and her fate, the baron ignores this revealing how unalike their stories truly are, except for the untimely fate of the woman. Scylla sacrificed herself for her love while […]

]]> 2648170418c7f1f77fc8f9fc6e60e41a Elisabeth Small commented on the post, Canto III, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-iii/#comment-427 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 21:55:47 -0500 In reference to Queen Anne and her power over England, Ireland and Scotland, she is not free from trivial activities such as gossip, courtly judgements, and pettiness. By referencing the Queen, he asserts these […]

]]> 2024cbc3034f2eb4c7ff96ae9af0e882 Elisabeth Small commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-426 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 21:49:24 -0500 Trembling is a reoccurring term throughout the epic poem (I: 48, 128, II: 48, 142, III: 114, IV: 162). While Pope is using the format of an epic poem, his repetitive use of the term could be satirical, […]

]]> 77cd91f7472ee89b31b8cab2828023cb Elisabeth Small commented on the post, Canto II, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-ii/#comment-425 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 21:43:39 -0500 The idea of love is so great, that he who wishes it is perceived as the protagonist, fighting to gain the beauty and power of love. However, in this case, it is prefaced by aggressive terms such as force, ravish, […]

]]> 6ba205c6c9bbfbdb06dcc73f205a3170 Eva DiLorenzo commented on the post, Canto I, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-i/#comment-412 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 13:31:26 -0500 What isn’t clear to me here is why the detail about lap dogs is included. I know it’s describing the morning routine, but are the dogs just there for that reason or do pets have a bigger symbolic role here that I’m missing?

]]> 0c1083d8d5eeb3b29477172c857de6fe Eva DiLorenzo commented on the post, Canto I, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-i/#comment-411 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 13:25:41 -0500 What isn’t clear to me here is what a “billet-doux” is. It says Belinda’s eyes first opened on it and it immediately made her forget the scary warning she just got in her dream. I’m assuming it’s a note, but I […]

]]> 680542a420febe913a708c548e3c3549 Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto I, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-i/#comment-410 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:02:52 -0500 What isn’t clear to me here is the way that Pope structures lines 119-120. It’s almost difficult to read, as the sentence becomes inverted to fit the heroic couplet formula that is used throughout the poem. It […]

]]> 4d2b4355d83d1e4f08e86901f66ce4f5 Madalyn Hayes commented on the post, Canto I, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-i/#comment-409 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:45:47 -0500 What isn’t clear to me here is the use of capitalization on the words “Prude” and Gnome” in line 63. Pope does this throughout the first canto, making me believe it could be intentional, although I can’t quite […]

]]> 7a583dd663c6ef0b26dc44735a0d613b Sophia-Elise Jenks commented on the post, Canto I, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-i/#comment-403 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 04:09:23 -0500 What isn’t clear to me here is how the Sylphs, who I have interpreted as very fairy-like and feminine so far, are associated with women straying off of what I assume is the accepted path for womanhood?

]]> 6c1ed262c720f1875b8a2d119dfcd29b Sophia-Elise Jenks commented on the post, Canto I, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-i/#comment-402 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 04:06:58 -0500 What isn’t clear to me here is who Caryl (a muse, presumably) is, and why they are relevant to the matter at hand? Is this a reference that deepens the understanding of the point being made by the poem?

]]> 791e5a4cd10544343ac3486c45a7a76d Ella Mercier commented on the post, Canto I, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-i/#comment-397 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 02:03:48 -0500 Something that is not clear to me is what is meant by the use of the word “Ombre” in this line? Also, why is it capitalized?

]]> af3bec4f2a690ad0937b60fc2e9e2467 Ella Mercier commented on the post, Canto I, on the groupblog Eighteenth-Century Innovations https://c18.sunygeneseoenglish.org/the-rape-of-the-lock/canto-i/#comment-396 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 02:02:53 -0500 What isn’t clear to me here is who Belinda is? Additionally, who Caroyl is? I am sure that we will meet them later in the poem, however, something else that is not clear to me is what the word “vouchsafe” means. I […]

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