Essay on Comparison of Pope and Swift - 1712 Words

Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift in their respective poems, The Rape of the Lock and The Progress of Beauty, offer opposite representations of the nature and function of cosmetics in eighteenth century society. In The Rape of the Lock, Pope gives a positive representation of cosmetics nature and function in eighteenth century society. On the other hand, Swifts representation takes a very negative tone. Both poets clearly appreciate and admire the natural beauty of a woman and their opposite opinions and therefore representation of the nature and function of cosmetics, springs from this admiration. Pope, whilst slightly ridiculing cosmetics through his use of satire, represents cosmetics in a positive light through portraying it as†¦show more content†¦However the satire is predominately light hearted, indicating Popes optimistic and light hearted feelings towards the use of cosmetics in eighteenth century society. The satire Pope uses on cosmetics does not put a negative to ne on the use of cosmetics, but rather puts into question Belindas, and therefore other womens priorities. In Popes poem, a bible as such belongs with puffs and patches. Keeners point in writing this is that Pope, by throwing in something as important as the bible with things as futile as puffs and powders and patches, is satirizing Belindas priorities; for Belinda, religion is just as important as her appearance. Pope does not represent cosmetics as having a negative nature through his satire, but rather shows the futility of women caring as much about their appearance as they do about God. This is the only real satire Pope uses in relation to the use of cosmetics. It may be argued that Pope is using this to show the negative function of cosmetics in eighteenth century society in that it distracts women from God. However, vanity is something that can exist with or without the presence of cosmetics. Even in Eden, Eve was distracted by her own beauty, giving in to vanity. Therefor e it would be fair to argue that this being the only presence of satire of cosmetics in The Rape of the Lock, Pope maintains his representation of the nature andShow MoreRelated Comparison of Pope and Swift Essay1676 Words   |  7 Pages Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift in their respective poems, The Rape of the Lock and The Progress of Beauty, offer opposite representations of the nature and function of cosmetics in eighteenth century society. In The Rape of the Lock, Pope gives a positive representation of cosmetic’s nature and function in eighteenth century society. On the other hand, Swift’s representation takes a very negative tone. Both poets clearly appreciate and admire the natural beauty of a woman and their oppositeRead More Comparison (J. Swift A. Pope) Essay562 Words   |  3 Pages Both acknowledge the view that man has dominion over the earth, as created and instituted by God. However, the difference is seen in their approaches to this subject. Pope primarily focuses on man’s pride and place in society, whereas Swift discusses how man deals with certain situations reasonably or unreasonably. Pope and Swift present situations that man has to face in conjunction with illogical conc lusions. Besides exhibiting illogical conclusions, they also show the selfish, prideful, rebelliousRead MoreA Modest Proposal By Johnathon Swift801 Words   |  4 PagesJohnathon Swift employs no shortage of phrases that dehumanize the Irish people. He likens women and the poor to â€Å"breeders,† implying that the only thing they are good for in life is to procreate and profit from their offspring. He goes on to reference, â€Å"child dropped from its dam,† as if making a comparison between women and animals. Swift furthers that with talk of allowing a number of women for breeding reserves, and it being more than the allotted number to that of livestock. 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The plot of the story centers a materialistic goal, as the lock of hair thatRead MoreHidden Messages of the Dressing Room Satires on Jonathan Swift and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu1638 Words   |  7 PagesLiz Jansen From Dryden to Blake British English 10-01-2013 1415 words Hidden Messages of the Dressing Room Satires On Jonathan Swift and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu Jonathan Swift is one of the most famous poets from the eighteenth century. He has written many satires including â€Å"The Lady’s Dressing Room†. This poem is about a man named Strephon and a woman named Celia. In the poem, Celia tries to make herself presentable to society while Strephon sneaks in her dressing room and there discoversRead MoreMaterialism In Alexander Pope And Popes Rape Of The Lock1322 Words   |  6 PagesThe views of women have altered over time, but have always had objectifying tendencies. During the 18th century, cosmetic alteration to natural beauty peaked and materialism heightened throughout societal views. Authors such as Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift vividly spew these views throughout their writings. Pope’s Rape of the Lock exposes the materialism used in objectifying women, mainly in the upper-class societal levels. The whole plot of the story centers around a cosmetic appearance creatingRead Morevicki hearne vs peter singer com parison essay782 Words   |  4 Pages A quick comparison to Vicki Hearne’s â€Å"What’s Wrong with Animal Rights?† to Peter Singer’s â€Å"Speciesism and Moral Status†, might indicate Hearne’s argument is stronger due to her strategic and effective use of emotional appeals (i.e. pathos). These appeals allow Hearne to connect quickly and easily with her audience. Hearne is also quite clever in terms of stressing her occupation as an animal trainer. 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