The Rape of the Lock

“The mock epic The Rape of the Lock made Pope known to a general audience. Based on an actual incident in 1711, when Robert Lord Petre (“The Baron”) publicly cut a lock of hair from the head of Arabella Fermor (“Belinda”), and said to have been written at the request of a friend to encourage a rapprochement between the families, the poem nimbly depicts the foibles of high society. At once light-hearted and serious, addressing both the flimsiness of social status and the repercussions of public behavior, the poem is an in-depth study of contemporary social mores and the reasons for their existence. “

Well... there's this girl, very pretty, everyone admires and loves her. Then there's this incel who collects trophies... Considering how he gets Belinda's lock, I assume that he has stolen the other trophies he has as well. Anyway, he steals one of Belinda's locks. He waits until she is busy playing cards, and then just cuts off half her hair. No wonder the girl was irate!
The interesting thing here is that her reputation was spoiled because of that. He did it among people, so there were witnesses to say that he “raped” her hair, against her will, knowledge, and approval. Yet - her reputation was spoiled.

Awesomely satirical and sarcastic, but such tough poetry to read.

2.5