Alexander was an 18th century poet, who befriended and collaborated with many other poets during his lifetime. His best-known work was The Rape of the Lock. It is a satirical poem that pokes fun at a woman who is not as innocent as one suspects. When a lock of her hair is cut, she acts as if she has been stabbed. Clearly this is a fun poem, one that Alexander Pope enjoyed writing. However, in Letter to a Young Poet, Virginia Woolf explains the importance of having fun when writing. "But it is of the utmost importance that readers enjoy themselves and that writers agree... There is nothing wrong with that, as long as you take it as a joke... You have a touch of Chaucer in you" ( Woolf). She was a big fan of Chaucer, who goes down in history as one of the best satirists. More importantly, this shows that he appreciates the humorous tone created by satire. The Kidnapping of the Lock is considered a very funny piece that Virginia Woolf would have approved of
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