The Rape of the Lock Term Analysis

Berenice’s Locks

A reference to a mythological story, in which Berenice, queen of Egypt, was said to have cut off one of her locks of hair to ensure her husband’s safety in battle, after which the lock… read analysis of Berenice’s Locks

Ombre

Popular three-person card game. Originally a Spanish game called hombre, in many respects a forerunner of the modern game bridge. read analysis of Ombre

Rape

Theft or plundering. To the modern reader this word might appear to refer to a non-consensual sex act, but Pope is actually using this word in a slightly older sense, primarily to mean to steal… read analysis of Rape

Spleen

In Pope’s time, spleen was a fairly general term for various forms of bodily disfunction, all of which were believed to be primarily female characteristics. It was thought that the spleen sent up vapors to… read analysis of Spleen

Sylph

Guardian spirit of the air, designed to protect virgins. Distinct from some of the other overtly malicious supernatural beings in the poem, such as Umbriel the gnome, the sylphs are at least superficially good. According… read analysis of Sylph