la storia di un ricciolo di capelli inglese – Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock

Another great English story-teller was Alexander Popes (1646-1717) .   His satirical  verses portrait (= ritraggono) the 18th century society and reveal the story of an age, its vices and virtues – follies and frivolities of the fashionable (= alla moda) people of his days. The poem The Rape of the Lock  has real sources (= fonti): two families Pope was acquainted with (= conosceva), quarrelled (= hanno litigato) and he was asked to reconcile (= riconciliarle). Why did they quarrel? Lord Petre had cut off  (= aveva tagliato) a lock (= ricciolo)of Miss Arabella Fermor’s hair without her permission. The story focus on (= si focalizza) a young woman, Belinda. Pope describes her since the very start of the day, from the moment she wakes up, till night: she plays cards, flirts, drinks coffee, and has a lock of hair stolen by the Baron, an ardent young man. At the end of the poem, the lock ascends to heaven (= cielo) and becomes a brilliant new star. 

The poem was published first without Pope’s permission. Subsequently he revisited it and  published it under his own name first in 1714, then in 1717.