The Rape of the Lock and Other Poems

This e-edition has apparently been reformatted for the better since most of the earlier complaints have been addressed. That stated, the next question is why we should concern ourselves with Mr. Pope's poetry in the contemporary world. One can write tomes about this and still not touch upon all the reasons.What can be said without fear of contradiction is that for the contemporary reader Mr. Pope's use of the heroic couplet makes the perusing reading quite comfortable while at the same time making him, the reader, pay close attention to each word and to HEAR the poem and to APPRECIATE the chosen words. In these poems the profundity is there almost obviously but the BEAUTY is subtle and sophisticated (want the other extreme try e e cummings) So poetry lovers give him a tumble.

When I first downloaded this eBook, the formatting was screwy. Each Canto started on a new page, but you only got one screen and the remainder was lost.Apparently this eBook was reformatted for proper eBook use, because I downloaded a fresh copy recently and read it yesterday without trouble.It's a scream! Sort of Legally Blonde meets the Iliad.This has nothing to do with rape as we normally use the term. It is about the difficulties that arise when a spurned young cavalier snips a lock of hair from she who spurned him, which to those engage became about as important as the fall of Troy.Pope manages to evoke the tone and color of Homer while offering scathing insights into the travails of courtiers obsessed with reputation, coiffure, and the heartache of "costive lap-dogs". His approach through the eyes of a fairy guardian of a self-obsessed young ingenue offers his most delicate and lyrical descriptions damning in their application to the fair maiden's dressing table, card game, and the assault that leads to such Homeric feelings.

Alexander Pope is one of my favorite poets. His poems are understandable, clear and beautiful. It does not follow that poems always have to be understandable and clear, but they should be beautiful, especially when dealing with sensitive topics. I agree with John Keats's dictum beauty=truth. Pope is great! He overcame terrible personal problems with aplomb. By the way, "rape" did not mean to Pope what it means to us. It is defined thus: Archaic: the act of seizing and carrying off by force.

High art, high comedy and a sweeping knowledge of the ways and wiles of an age. Without a doubt, Pope's "The Rape of the Lock" is a model of the mock heroic poem. And it's as good as it gets. The poem captures an essential element in the spirit of the age. Attitudes and practices are challenged. The drawing-map room is a world of its own and references to the real world reveal its essential meaninglessness.

Love poetry and these are lovely. Alexander Pope was said to be an unattractive, even an ugly man... But he wrote some beautiful things!

I love the free books for the Kindle. They greatly expand our homeschool reading beyond what we can find at our library as well as allow us to keep a copy as long as we need.

"The Rape of the Lock" is a decent poem in my opinion. I purchased this collection of Pope for this poem in particular. Was worth it.

There is no carriage return at the end of each pentameter line. The lines are run-in. Other than this, the book is a great value. (Free!)

So far I have only read 'The Rape of the Lock' A rather amusing long poem based on the romance and scandals of the high society of the day. Some of the topical allusions are lost today but the insights in a lost world, though in which the seeds of our world can be seen, is interesting.

One of the best writers of his period, plenty of interesting texts. The collection is small but some of Pope's most famous works are included. Perfect if you haven't read his work before as it's not too massive and it's free. It just gives you a taste of his writing and an idea of whether you want to purchase more.

Entertainingly and provides insights to the early Georgian aristocrats. It’s not too hard to understand if you have a basic knowledge of classical themes.

Brilliant. Food for the soul.

A fine selection of Pope which reads well and seems accurate. The line numbering is not right justified so this does interfere with reading.