Sylphs’ cool disclosure that any woman who refuses marriage while guarding her “honour” is quietly possessed by one of them, an airy spirit who changes sex and shape at will and shields her only from daylight seducers, never from the midnight assignation she actually desires. Honour is the word men invented below; the celestials have always known better. 18th-century satire, coquette metaphysics, feminine autonomy disguised as chastity, mock-epic, Augustan poetry, Belinda, Sylphs, masquerade, literary irony, women’s reputation as performance. Honestly, this is the most I have revealed of myself on public forums.

My own positions revealed in irony and content.

#Poetry #Sylphs #Belinda #RapeOfTheLock #Pope #Coquette #Masquerade #AirySpirits #Honour #Lock #Satire #Feminist