Alexander Pope (b. May 21, 1688) was a satirist known for his Horatian satirist style and translation of the "Iliad". Famous throughout and after the long 18th century, Pope died in 1744. Pope, in his "The Rape of the Lock", is delicately chiding society in a sly but polished voice by holding up a mirror to the follies and vanities of the upper class. Pope does not actively attack the self-important pomp of the British aristocracy, but rather presents it in such a way that gives the reader a new perspective from which to easily view the actions in the story as foolish and ridiculous. A mockery of the upper class, more delicate and lyrical than brutal, Pope nonetheless is able to effectively illuminate the moral degradation of society to the public. "The Rape of the Lock" assimilates the masterful qualities of a heroic epic, such as the "Iliad", which Pope was translating at the time of writing "The Rape of the Lock". However, Pope applied these qualities satirically to a seemingly petty egotistical elitist quarrel to prove his point wryly.