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Robert Burns's "Tam O' Shanter" and Alexander Pope's "The Rape of the Lock"

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Robert Burns's MOCK-EPIC ELEMENTS IN TWO MASTERPIECES: ROBERT BURNS'S "TAM 0' SHANTER" AND ALEXANDER POPE'S "THE RAPE OF THE LOCK" by Patricia L. Beggan A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Schmidt College of Arts and Humanities in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida April 1992 MOCK-EPIC ELEMENTS IN TWO MASTERPIECES: ROBERT BURNS'S "TAM O' SHANTER" AND ALEXANDER POPE'S "THE RAPE OF THE LOCK" by Patricia L. Beggan This thesis was prepared under the direction of the candi­ date's thesis advisor, Dr. Carol McGuirk, Department of English and Comparative Literature and has been approved by the members of her supervisory committee. It was submitted to the faculty of The Schmidt College of Arts and Humanities and was accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE: Thesis Advisor ChairJerson, Department of English and Comparative Literature Dean, The Schmidt College of Arts and Humanities Ck , Date ii Dedicated to Gene Greeter. iii ABSTRACT Author: Patricia L. Beggan Title: Mock-Epic Elements in Two Masterpieces: Robert Burns's "Tam o' Shanter" and Alexander Pope's "The Rape of the Lock" Insitution: Florida Atlantic University Thesis Advisor: Dr. Carol McGuirk Degree: Master of Arts Year: 1992 Arguing that "Tam o' Shanter" is a mock epic, this thesis defines the major epic conventions that Robert Burns uses in his masterpiece. As well as using epic features in the action portions of the narrative, Burns uses epic convention to craft a subtle episodic structure. In addition, through- out his poem, Burns subverts epic conventions associated with the epic hero as a way to create his anti-hero, Tam. Comparing Burns's poem to Alexander Pope's "The Rape of the Lock" (the standard for English mock-epic poetry), shows Burns's familiarity with the mock-epic genre generally and with Pope specifically (Burns read and especially admired Pope). The commonalities between the two poems are too num- erous to be coincidental; in fact, many times Burns is para- dying Pope's poem, thereby parodying a parody. iv INTRODUCTION The neoclassical poet Alexander Pope (1688-1747) is of- ten seen as the antithesis of the romantics. "The Rape of the Lock" set the standard for the English mock epic, and was a favorite poem of Robert Burns. Pope undoubtedly in- fluenced Burns heavily when he wrote "Tam o' Shanter" (McGuirk 150). Many mock-epic characteristics within "Tam o' Shanter" echo "The Rape of the Lock" as well as classical epic. For this reason, at least in the case of "Tam o' Shanter," I believe that Burns is aligned more with the Augustan Pope than with the romantic poets. Each of my chapters offers a reading of "Tarn o' Shanter," but each has a different focus. Chapter One de- fines the neoclassical structure of "Tam o' Shanter," with some discussion of "The Rape of the Lock." In Chapter Two my reading focuses on epic conventions in "Tam o' Shanter:" I explain the parody--the "mock'' elements--with which Burns treats epic conventions, frequently by imitating Pope. Chapter Two also discusses other conventions Burns borrows from classical epic which do not appear in "The Rape of the Lock," demonstrating his familiarity with classical epic as well as with the poetry of Pope. I argue that Burns paro- dies the heroic generally, as well as "The Rape of the 1 Lock" specifically. In Chapter Three my reading focuses on the portrayal of "mock heroes" in "Tam o' Shanter" and "The Rape of the Lock," showing how epic conventions are paro­ died to convert Burns's Tam and Pope's Belinda into anti­ heroes. Overall my thesis argues that "Tam o' Shanter" is a mock epic, although that genre defines only one dimension of this multi-faceted poem. Beyond discussion of epic traits, there are other ways to appreciate the poem. It has also been seen as deriving from the genres of "wild ride," "folk tale," "Tam-a-lin folksongs," and "dramatic monologue." During the eighteenth century the mixing of genres was a frequent activity of poets, as may be seen in the works of Pope, Gay, and many others. It should therefore be no sur- prise that Burns also mixes genres. He especially admired the poets of the early century. I therefore think it wise not to categorize "Tam o' Shanter" as one particular type of poem because it incorporates many genres. The mock epic genre, however, subsumes the others and dominates the poem, yet it has received too little attention in the critical discourse. In addition, reading "Tam o' Shanter" as a mock epic clarifies issues which have puzzled critics for some time: narrative viewpoint; shifts in style; the relation of the poem to events in Burns's life. Burns's letters show that he read and admired Pope and the classical poets and was familiar with neoclassical genre theory. 2 It is true that Burns strongly influenced the roman­ tics, but it is just as important to approach his poetry knowing his Augustan background. There can be no doubt of Pope's influence on Burns, for he frequently refers to it in his letters. The similarities between "The Rape of the Lock" and "Tam o' Shanter" are not coincidental, and the neoclassical influences on Burns have been neglected. 3 CHAPTER ONE Epic Elements in the Structure of "Tam o' Shanter" This chapter deals with the mock-epic structures of "Tam o'Shanter" and "The Rape of the Lock." Briefly fo- cusing on the narrative traits characteristic of epic po­ etry, I will show how Burns and Pope use variants, genera- ting parody of these epic traits. I also offer a reading of "Tam o' Shanter" that elucidates the subtle episodic structure of the poem, arguing that Burns introduces parody of epic conventions (along with changes in his poetic "voice") as a transitional element designed to mark episodes in this long narrative poem. Finally, I link Burns's parody of epic to the techniques in Pope's mock epic. Epics are long narrative poems; mock epics such as "The Rape of the Lock" and "Tam o' Shanter" are shorter. In compacting the length of their poems, Burns and Pope minia- turize to parody the epic. In addition, both poets use rhyming couplets. In Greek literature the heroic meter is unrhymed dactylic hexameter; in English epic poetry, how­ ever, it is often the heroic couplet, or rhymed iambic pen- tameter. An obvious choice for a mock epic, Pope's heroic couplets sustain his quick, sparkling wit. Burns likewise 4 "uses the device of the rhyming couplet to convey an im­ mediate change in action, as if it occurs as quickly as the rhyme" ( Bentman 13 3). Burns, however, deviates from the heroic couplet, using octosyllabic couplets, the meter for satire and elegy in English poetic tradition. Classical epics are divided into books. "The Rape of the Lock" is divided into five: Pope reduces the usual num­ ber of books in order to pare down the classical epic's grandiose structure. "Tam o' Shanter" is not divided into books; instead, Burns introduces transitional devices to mark the separate sections of the narrative. In addition, Burns changes the poetic voice throughout the poem, shifting from narrator to commentator (Crawford 223). Although there are voice changes throughout the poem, when they occur at points of transition, they strengthen the demarcation of that transition. In four of the "voice" transitions Burns shifts to the mock-moralizing voice of the commentator; in another the poet himself seems to speak. Burns therefore diverges further than Pope from classical episodic struc­ ture; in fact, his more fluid structure parodies Pope's more conventional epic form. "Tam o' Shanter" begins with a prologue and ends with a moral: in between are six episodes. Tam drinks at a lo- cal pub in Ayr at the end of a busy market day. He rides through a storm to Alloway Kirk, discovers witches in the ruined churchyard, observes Nannie's dance, reveals his pre- 5 sence to the witches, and survives the ensuing chase. The opening of each of these six episodes is marked by a refer- ence to epic convention. My reading will show how Burns in- terrupts the narration and divides it into episodes. "Tam o' Shanter" begins with a prologue replete with epic conventions. First, an epic should be about the poet's own nation (Tillotson 120). Burns obviously con- forms to this feature with his early mention of "the lang Scots miles." Pope also comforms to this convention in "The Rape of the Lock:" Close by those Meads for ever crown'd with Flow'rs, Where Thames with Pride surveys his rising Tow'rs, There stands a Structure of Majestick Frame, Which from the neighb'ring Hampton takes its Name. (3.1-4) Following closely after this quotation, there are refer- ences to "Britain's statesmen" and the "British Queen," which confirm that the "Structure of Majestick Frame" is Hampton Court. Another epic convention Burns uses in his prologue is epithet. In line 13, "Honest" ironically modifies Tam, the irony consists in the fact that Burns bases "honest" Tam on a real-life liar. Douglas Graham, an acquaintance of Burns, told his superstitious wife that he had come upon a witches dance, in order to account for his late arrival home from market-day in Ayr (McGuirk 151) . Like Burns, Pope also uses epithet ironically, creating the phrase "glittering forfex" for sissors and "Rebel-Knave" for a playing card. 6 Pope's irony, however, consists in creating stately epi- thets for common articles .
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