Page 243 - DENG405_BRITISH_POETRY

British Poetry

Notes When they go to the club for ball dance, masquerades, theatre with some treacherous friend on
such occasions her virginity is protected by the guidance of the Sylphs but a woman thinks that her
sense of honour protects her from parting with virtue. The fourth secret is that some beautiful girls
reject the proposal of men and dreams of lords and noblemen imagines themselves as duchess.
These women corrupt their minds and heart.
The fifth secret revealed to Belinda is that when women go astray, they are guided by the Sylphs
falling from the follies by introducing new temptations to them. The Sylph introduces himself that
he is also one such Sylph and he has come to warn her, protect her. The name of this Sylph is Ariel.
The Sylph reveals his purpose by saying that while wandering in the air he saw governing star of
Belinda, which shows the shadow of some dreadful event which will take place on that day before
sunset. It has not been revealed what will happen or where will happen. As a guardian Sylph of
Belinda, he gives one warning to her and vanishes from her dream.

What function does the poem’s supernatural machinery serve?
One reason of the success of the poem is the use of supernatural machinery by Pope. The speech of
the sylph echoes Satan’s speeches in Paradise Lost, and the heroes speech in the classical epics. The
name of the Sylph- Ariel reminds the mischievous airy spirit of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Through
the speech of the Sylph Pope satirizes the fashionable women of 18th century, whose virtue seems
easily assailable and the Sylph must protect them.
Ariel is not simply satisfied with this. The major function of the sylph is their meeting. The head
sylph Ariel calls all sylphs from different earthly regions and first describes their original function.
Then he says that they have to do a special function on that day because the virtue of one lady is in
danger. To each Sylph he assigns a special job. Brillante, is asked to take care of Belinda’s hair and
Ariel himself will take care of her lap-dog. Through this Pope passes satire that being the head
Sylph he should think of protecting her virtue but he decides to protect her lap-dog.
The presence of the Sylphs also serves the purpose of comic effect. Their attempt to create a mild
blow of wind with the help of their wings sounds comic. One Sylph who is overenthusiastic comes
in between when Baron is cutting the lock of hair. It gets cut into two but being an airy spirit it is
reunited. They also sit on the cards of Ombre so that Belinda may win.
Pope has successfully utilized supernatural machinery not simply by incorporating good spirit but
also by incorporating an evil spirit like Umbrid. If good spirit tries to protect Belinda, evil spirit
harms Belinda. If Belinda is in melancholy, half of the world is in melancholy so to cause despair
and melancholy to Belinda, Umbrid goes to the Cave of Spleen. Umbrid’s visit to the under world
serves the purpose of one important epic convention. An ideal epic should display some characters
visiting either heaven or underworld. This convention is observed by Pope through this supernatural
element. His visit also serves the purpose of mock element. In that cave he finds tea-pots walking
and talking which is comic. His collecting sighs, sorrows, sobs, tears, and then showering all on
Belinda also add to the mock-effect of the poem. The way the Sylphs sit on the cards of Belinda,
Umbrid and other evil spirits sit on the weapons of women so that they can use those weapons
effectively.

The presence of the Sylphs and Umbrid make the reading of the poem interesting.
Though they are supernatural, they appear as if they are human beings with flesh
and blood.

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