What is a mock –epic

|0 |

 What is a mock –epic? 

         A mock - epic poem popularized by Dryden and Pope as part of Augustan verse satire uses the elevated man's style of the epic genre to treat a trivial contemporary and social subject. Pope uses the celebrated poems of his model to dovetail. ( law of association of mind) heroic flourish with the trivia of society. The form is epic or heroic and content is the petty matters of society, its follies and fashions. The idea of the heroic treatment of a trivial, social or domestic issue as suggested by Pope in the words 'Heroic- comical' poem. 

          Epic conventions followed /parodied by Pope for mock - epic effect. Pope modelled his mock - epic on the writers of the past, his mock - epic echoing a string of resonances from their works. They are : Homer, Callimacus, catulus, virgil and Milton.  The greco - Roman tradition of heroic poetry looms large on this poem. The epic conventions that Pope employs are : 

1. The opening propostion or invocation as part of the ritual or rite of introducing the poet's subject. 

2. Formal statement of the theme. 

3. Introduction or visitation of a supernatural being or "machine " or resolve on impending human crisis,In the Rape of the Lock Belinda's crisis. 

4. Epic - speeches with epic - similies. ( Epic similies or Homeric similie in an elaboration /elaborate comparison, extending over a number of lines in which the second of the objects compared is depicted in great length and style) 

5. The dream of the hero in which the supernatural being is warning her of an impending danger assuring him or her super - natural protection. 

6.Introduction of allegorical figures. 

7. The learned survey of a track of a knowledge. 

8. The journey to the underworld (normally Hades, here the clave of speech) . The heroes journey to the battle and the battle scene, ringing with grandiose speeches, challenges, and boastings. 

9. Epic ending with resolution of the battle in favour of the hero, his or her victory 

10. The God 's directing the action for resolution. 

11. Use of heroic meter(Heroic meter is the rhymed pair of lines of iambic pentameter ) Pope gives a perfect rendering of heroic couplet.

What-is-a-mock–epic
Mock–Epic


    Pope employes all these conventions for the treatment of his trivial subject matter. The effect is delightful comedy in the parody of the epic. Therefore, Pope calls his poem 'heroic- comical'.


    Mock - epic belongs to the form poetry that is known as burlesque.  Burlesque is an all encompassing term for poetry which consciously breaks the corrospondence and congruence between form and content. Mock - heroic is thus considered a speciman of high burlesque as it misuses of an elevated and dignified style (heroic or epical) to present a trivial subject matter. 

    In mock - epical or mock - heroic poetry a trivial subject matter is presented in an epical or heroic style to evoke laughter, ridicule or scorn. Besides a mock - epical artist often points out certain follies within the society and seeks to redress those through laughter and ridicule. 

    Pope's The Rape of the Lock, along with the Dunciade and An Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot are good examples of Mock - heroic poetry. 


Litrature