TOEFL - Speaking Question 4 |
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Directions: In this question, you will read a short passage and then listen
to a talk on the same academic topic. You will then answer a question about
them. After you hear the question, you will have 30 seconds to prepare your
response and 60 seconds to speak. You have 45 seconds to read the passage.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Question
The Mock Epic
The term mock epic or mock heroic refers to
a shorter epic written in a satirical
manner. It has all the characteristics of a
large epic, such as starting out with the
invocation of the muse, being written in
iambic pentameter, containing a Homeric
simile, or a long and drawn out comparison
of two things, and having a hero with a
tragic flaw, but is much shorter and uses
satire as its centerpiece. Satire is usually
used to make fun of some aspect in a
society. |
Narrator:
Now listen to part of a lecture in a world literature class.
Professor:
Alexander Pope’s poem, Rape of the Lock, is a fine example of a mock
epic. Pope uses satire to reveal the triviality of the values the
aristocracy held in 18th
century England. Every epic is written in rhymed iambic pentameter that is
broken into books or cantos. The first canto begins with the customary
invocation of the muse to help Pope tell his tale. The muse in this case is
just Caryll, a close friend of Pope’s, as opposed to some deity that usually
inspires a poet to tell his story. One of the most important aspects of an
epic, or in this case, mock epic because this is just a fraction of the size
of a regular epic, is the hero/heroine with a tragic flaw that ultimately
causes their own downfall. Belinda is the tragic heroine of Rape of the
Lock, and her flaw is her vanity, more specifically, her hair. Pope
emphasizes her vanity when he mentions that she even has a favorite lock of
hair. Now, the “villain” of the story eventually cuts off this prized lock.
After a heated argument, the lock escapes into the wind and falls apart.
Belinda’s vanity causes her best friend to assist the villain by concealing
scissors and presenting them at just the right time. Pope compares these
scissors to a little, steel, engine in a Homeric or epic simile, which is a
necessary component of any epic. It is an elaborate comparison that extends
over a number of lines of verse.
Narrator:
Now get ready to answer the question.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Answer
The Rape of the Lock is considered a mock epic because it meets several of the requirements of a mock epic. Rape of the Lock begins with an invocation of the muse, but there is not a muse, or god, in this story. So, the speaker invokes only his friend instead of a god. The story is a little satirical also in the sense that the speaker asks for help to tell his story from his friend instead of the traditional help from a god. This story also has a Homeric simile where the speaker compares the scissors to a little steel engine. It is a long explanation or comparison, instead of just saying the scissors are like an engine, in a short sentence. Another characteristic of a mock epic is that there is a hero or heroine that has a tragic flaw that leads to their downfall. The heroine in Rape of the Lock is Belinda and her flaw is her vanity. She thinks she is incredibly beautiful and she cares so much about her appearance that she even has a favorite piece of hair. It is because she loves this piece of hair so much that she becomes undone when it is cut from her head, and she loses her best friend to the villain of the story over the lock of hair.