The Rape of the Lock Canto 1 Trivia Quiz

Answer: dire

As this poem is written in heroic couplets, I shall complete the phrase, "What dire Offence from am'rous Causes spring/What mighty contests rise from trivial Things". This opening line summarizes the entire idea of the poem, just as in the writings of Homer or Virgil (wrote true epics).

It explains the rest of the poem as it is, a terrible conflict which was created because of a simple and trivial thing. (A perfect quote for this website!)

Answer: Lord, Belle

This couplet again mocks the traditional usage of a question from the great epic writers, and gives us a little bit more of a hint as to what might be going on in the poem to come.

Answer: Belinda

Belinda is the main character of the poem, whom the narrator follows throughout her day and onto the social gathering where she is so horribly insulted. At this point in the canto, however, she is still asleep, with her Sylph (a magic creature which watches over maidens and children) giving her more time to dream, and enabling him to give her a warning therein.

Answer: Spirits

These are the spirits that are created when a woman dies, with the vanities of her soul which are left over. "To their first Elements their souls retire". Fiery tempered women become Salamanders, "Soft yielding minds" become water Nymphs, prudish women become earthy Gnomes, and flirty, society women become airy Sylphs, like Belinda's guardian spirit.

Answer: mortal

The job of the Sylphs and other spirits is to protect the honour and reputation of maidens, who, without their help would never be able to stop themselves from temptation. They are therefore able to change their shape into what they will, as they have such an important job.

Answer: purity

This poem is actually based on a real occurrence, when a quarrel broke out between two prominent families in England after the son of one family decided to cut off a lock of hair from the daughter of the other family's head. When you consider the amount of time and effort put into creating the elaborate hairstyles of the day, I would get pretty mad, too (although this occurrence seems to be taking it a little too far)!

Answer: victim

This stanza announces that it is the Sylphs who ensure that a maiden does not get too attached to one particular man, otherwise who knows what could happen! Women have no self-control themselves, after all.

Answer: Ariel

This is the guardian Sprite of Belinda, the one who has had a premonition of something to come that day before the sun sets. He tries to warn of whatever horrible thing may befall her in her dream.

Answer: Vision

This is how Belinda managed to forget the warning that she had received from Ariel: she read some of the Billet-doux (love letters) from her many admirers, and the whole thing just flew out of her head.

Answer: labours

This is the last line of the canto, which tells us that Betty, who is Belinda's lady, does not actually do all the things that go into making Belinda beautiful, it is really the spirits who make her cheeks glow and her hair perfect. Man, those must be some pretty busy spirits with all they have to do! I hope you enjoyed this quiz!