Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope

"For when the Fair in all their pride expire,
To their first elements their souls retire:
The sprites of fiery termagants in flame
Mount up, and take a Salamander's name.
Soft yielding minds to water glide away,
And sip, with Nymphs, their elemental tea.
The graver prude sinks downward to a Gnome,
In search of mischief still on earth to roam.
The light coquettes in Sylphs aloft repair,
And sport and flutter in the fields of air.
'Know further yet; whoever fair and chaste
Rejects mankind, is some Sylph embraced
For spirits, freed from mortal laws, with ease
Assume what sexes and what shapes they please.
What guards the purity of melting maids,
In courtly balls, and midnight masquerades,
Safe from the treacherous friend, the daring spark,
The glance by day, the whisper in the dark,
When kind occasion prompts their warm desires,
When music softens, and when dancing fires?
'Tis but their Sylph, the wise Celestials know,
Though Honor is the word with men below."

In "Rape of the Lock", the author conveys his misogynistic ideals through sarcasm and literature based referencing. Through this excerpt of the poem, one could see there are several references to a work of literature called "Le Conte de Gabalis", as well as that this passage is loaded with sarcasm. In this novel that Pope is referencing, it explains that there are four elements inhabited by spirits; Sylphs, Gnomes, Nymphs, and Salamanders. Each of these spirits has a different meaning. The Gnomes represent mischief, and the Sylphs are the best-conditioned creatures imaginable. Pope explains this all in a very condescending way in the beginning of the poem. With this knowledge, the reader can now see what Pope is comparing women to. Essentially, Pope is saying that women shape-shift to what they see fit for themselves, in other words; they are liars. In the beginning of this excerpt, women are bored of pride and what-not so they retire that, and bring on a different form of themselves; a Salamander. To mention, a salamander is a type of reptile which is a form of calling a person sneaky. The next form they take is a Nymph, which is socially known as one who is promiscuous. Once women get tired of this, they then go on to a Gnome, to get themselves into mischief. It is then when a Sylph has to repair the damage these Gnomes have caused. Pope then goes on to explain that whoever "does not follow the crowd", as well as those who are modest, are those who come from Sylphs aka the best-conditioned creatures. Through this referencing and use of dramatic language, one could see the sarcasm Pope expresses as well. In conclusion, Pope uses his knowledge of literature against the woman he is dedicating this poem to, and referencing the novel to get his point across while using a form of sarcasm.