I started reading this poem with my own preconceived notions of what an Alexander Pope poem would be like. You know, something resembling that little bit from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind...
What I found was this Heroi-Comical poem, or mock epic, that pokes fun at the trivial problems of upper class folk who have the tendency to blow them out of proportion. I found it amusing that the poem was written as a request to repair the relationship between two families where a certain hair cutting incident actually took place.
Pope fills the poem with classical images in order to draw out the epic style. He writes these lines spoken by Belinda's guardian, Sylph: "Of all the nurse and all the priest have taught,/ of airy elves by moonlight shadows seen,/ The silver token, and the circled green,/ Or virgins visited by angel powers,/ With golden crowns and wreaths of heavenly flowers,/ Hear and believe! thy own importance know,/ Nor bound thy narrow views to things below. (30-36)" The last two lines are very tongue in cheek in the way they mention Belinda's delusions of self-importance and the fact that she doesn't need to pay any mind to those below her.
When the Baron cuts the perfect lock of hair from Belinda's head, nothing can console her. Clarissa, who aided in the crime, suggests that she look beyond her anger, but Umbriel the gnome has gone to the Cave of the Spleen to bring back things that will make her even angrier. With this, Pope highlights such pitfalls as envy and vanity, which he brings to a perfect conclusion with Belinda choosing to believe that her lock of hair has become a constellation of stars.
The epic’s basis in reality does add another ridiculous layer, as do the “airy” (31), or insubstantial, elves who aid Belinda.
ReplyDeleteThe last two lines can be tongue-and-cheek, but they could go another way. Belinda does look down on others, but if the first portion – “Hear and believe! thy own importance know” (35) - is read more critically, and the “golden crowns and wreaths of heavenly flowers” (34) are read as a contrast, there can also appears an admonition among the playful jesting.
I’m not sure if the anthology mentioned this, but the name “Umbriel” could serve similarly, as it’s derived from the Latin for “shadow.”
I find it interesting that apparently “the priest have taught/of airy elves by moonlight shadows seen” (30-31), as it implies a blending of folklore and religion.
Was Clarissa an accomplice? If so, I missed it, and would you mind showing me the relevant passage?