* Desire and Motivation: The Baron is smitten with Belinda's beauty, particularly her hair. He desires a lock of it as a trophy and a symbol of his conquest.
* Imitation of Epic Conventions: Pope satirizes epic poetry by applying grand, heroic language to trivial events. The Baron treats his pursuit of the lock as a significant quest, akin to a hero's journey.
* Sacrifice and Prayer: He performs mock-sacrifices at an altar, praying to Love for success in his endeavor.
* Divine (Demonic) Assistance: Pope introduces sylphs and gnomes, supernatural beings who influence human actions. Umbriel, a mischievous gnome, inspires Belinda with pride and vanity. Ariel, Belinda's guardian sylph, attempts to protect her virtue (symbolized by her hair), but ultimately fails due to Belinda's pride.
* Strategic Placement: The Baron positions himself near Belinda during a card game.
* Force and Scissors: Armed with a pair of scissors borrowed from Clarissa, the Baron makes his move. The poem describes the act as a "rape," using the term in its older sense of "seizure" or "theft," rather than sexual assault.
* Failed Attempts: Ariel warns Belinda of the Baron's intentions, and Belinda feels a tingling sensation as he approaches. The sylphs attempt to intervene by pulling the diamond earrings that are close to the locks. The sylphs can only act if the wearer is chaste, but Belinda's vanity weakens their power.
* Successful Snip: Despite the interventions, the Baron manages to snip off two locks of Belinda's hair in a single stroke. The poem notes that all the sylphs retreat in sorrow.
In summary, the Baron gets the lock through a combination of desire, planning, the use of scissors, a bit of luck, and, satirically, the intervention of supernatural beings, which ultimately fail to protect Belinda's locks.