My presuppositions about Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock” were far from a poem that included Nymphs and Sylphs, but I have been intrigued as I read nonetheless. One section of the poem that made me pause was just before the Baron cuts the lock of hair:
“Oh thoughtless mortals! ever blind to fate,
Too soon dejected, and too soon elate.
Sudden, these honours shall be snatch'd away,
And curs'd for ever this victorious day.” (III, 102-105)
I think this poem can give us a unique perspective to consider how little we understand about most of the circumstances in which we find ourselves. While “fate” is a flexible and loosely used term today, it is true that often we, even Christians, are blind or at least forgetful of the sovereignty of God. When circumstances and plans don’t unfold as we had hoped, many of us are quick to break down and be angry or upset towards God, ourselves, and those around us. Likewise, sometimes we rely on a decision we’ve made toomuch to the extent that we expect our plan to work out simply because it makes sense to us. These sentences spoken by a Nymph can be contemplated by readers today because it certainly applies to us as we make decisions day-to-day. When we make decisions with open hands, trusting God to direct us in the way we should go, we are far less dejected, and our elation is not empty because we know our hope and trust is not in our plans but rather in God’s sovereign plan. Even when we are disappointed with the outcomes of a plan, we can ultimately rest in knowing God’s plan is farther-reaching than we can even imagine, and He truly knows best.
Side note, the Baron’s obsession with collecting “trophies” from other “loves” made me think of Professor Slughorn in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) who had an obsession about “collecting” students to be his star pupils to elevate his own name as a professor and wizard. I’m definitely not a fan of someone seeking to elevate oneself by taking credit for the talents and gifts of others.
I commented on Caroline and Joshua's posts.
I commented on Caroline and Joshua's posts.
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