dlewis123
01-27-2013, 01:42 AM
Mickaila Grant
Mr. A
Brit Literature
January 22, 2013
Window Into Another World
Reading poems is sort of like taking a trip into another world. Part of the purpose of a poem is for each person to decide for themselves what to take away from it. In Richard Lovelace’s poem “To Althea, from Prison” you can see many different elements, ones that show Cavalier poetry such as, loyalty to one woman, being written technically and with ease, sounding like elegant conversation, modern-day knights, and loyalty to a leader, as well as Metaphysical Poetry by bold emotion and The Renaissance time period throughout the story through a focus on human life as well as eternal life.
The first Cavalier idea that appears in Lovelace’s poem is his loyalty to one specific woman. In this case his Love is Althea. His strong commitment to her can be shown when he talks about getting a visit from her at the prison gate. In the first stanza he says, “When Love with unconfined wings Hovers within my gates, And my divine Althea brings To whisper at the gates; When I lie tangled in her hair And fettered to her eye, The gods that wanton in the air Know no such liberty.” (Lovelace 1-8). This is an example of his intense loyalty because he is completely consumed by being with his Althea even if she is outside the gates of prison. This is an example of a characteristic of a Cavalier poet. loyalty to one woman was a major idea that was upheld by these types of poets. As shown in this quote from a literature textbook, “Cavalier poets adopted the chivalrous code of intense loyalty to a leader, to God, and to the one beloved woman” (“Before You Read” 263). So one might interpret from his poem that Richard Lovelace was indeed a Cavalier poet because of his loyalty to one woman.
The second characteristic of Cavalier poetry to show up in this poem is the ease and technicality it was written with. Most poems are, or try to be technically written. However it takes great talent to make a poem flow off the tongue as well as follow the boundaries of traditional poems. Richard did a great job of this. For instance when he describes his passionate love for Althea. He explains it this way, “When flowing cups run swiftly round, With no allaying Thames, Our careless heads with roses bound, Our hearts with loyal flames;” (Lovelace 9-12). This stanza is very flowing and rolls off the tongue. Despite this it is also very technical and follows poem rules, such as the first and third lines rhyming. The author of his Biography says this about the way he wrote, “Pope should have said that they seemed to write with ease, because he knew better than most people how hard it is to make any kind of writing, and especially poetry, sound easy and at the same time be technically accomplished.” (Sir John Suckling 1609-1642 Richard Lovelace 1618-1657 262). As you read and interpret Lovelace’s poem you can tell that it is very flowing and was written with ease. However it is still very technically written and follows the boundaries of poems. For example the 3rd and 5th lines in each stanza rhyme. How Lovelace wrote with ease and technicality, is another example of his Cavalier attitude shown throughout the poem.
The next idea found in the poem is his Metaphysical poetry ideas, such as his bold emotion. Lovelace makes it an effort to include bold emotion. Because of this you can almost feel whatever he is feeling in his poems. For example when he explains his hearts feelings toward Aletha. He describes their love and says, “Our careless head with roses bound, Our hearts with loyal flames;” (Lovelace 11-12). When he talks about loyal flames, flames mean fire or passion. Thus he feel a passion towards this girl which is showing his very bold emotion. Bold emotion is specifically mentioned as being a very important aspect of Metaphysical Poetry. An article all about Metaphysical Poetry says, “Metaphysical Poetry- a term that reflected it’s intensity of intellect, it’s self- conscious invention, and it’s bold emotion.” (Metaphysical Poetry 246). Through interpretation there is therefore a characteristic of Metaphysical Poetry being illustrated in this poem by his bold emotion.
Yet another Cavalier idea is seen in this poem is the way Lovelace writes to make it sound like elegant conversation. This particular poem sounds very sophisticated. For instance the last two lines in each stanza sound like they are spoken in old English, “Fishes that tipple in the deep Know no such liberty.” (Lovelace 15-16). One can see that this is a perfect example of how Lovelace’s choice of words reflects his want for his poetry to sound like elegant conversation. He could have just said that even the fish in the sea do not share my fortune, instead he chooses to word this part of his poem in a way that makes it sound much more elegant. Don’t take my word for it, take it from his biography. This statement talks about he and his close friend Sir John Suckling’s way of expressing themselves in their writing, “But these poets had more than politics in common; they shared a common literary goal, which was to write poems that sound like elegant conversation.” (Sir John Suckling 1609-1642 Richard Lovelace 1618-1657 262). By making his thought sound so elegant and complex, one can see yet another wonderful example of how Cavalier poetry is carried throughout his poem.
To continue another attitude of a Cavalier that is showcased throughout Lovelace’s poem is the push to behave like modern-day knights. Cavalier poets like Mr. Lovelace made it an important goal to uphold certain chivalrous qualities. A terrific quote to prove this is when Richard mentions how devoted he is to his King. His statement about his leader is, “When, like committed linnets, I With shriller throat shall sing The sweetness , mercy, majesty, And glories of my King;” (Lovelace 17-20) By interpreting this part of the poem a reader can tell he is speaking of his loyalty and respect to the King. This is a major connection to how the Cavalier poets thought of themselves as modern-day knights. As stated in the Before You Read from the literature textbook, “understanding the Cavalier poets, who saw themselves as modern-day knights.” ("Before You Read" 263). His strong loyalty to his King is another great example of how the Cavalier poets ideas and way of thinking is shown throughout this particular poem.
The Following characteristic of a Cavalier is very similar to the one mentioned in the previous paragraph, however the difference is this element explains his loyalty to follow any leader in general. Having a loyal and committed heart is a great quality to have. Lovelace certainly has just that. Especially when he talks again about his sworn allegiance to the King, this time more in depth, “When, like committed linnets, I With shriller throat shall sing The sweetness , mercy, majesty, And glories of my King; When I shall with a voice aloud how good He is, how great should be, Enlarged winds that curl the flood Know no such liberty.” (Lovelace 21-24). In this statement the author is describing how great he thinks his King and leader is and how much respect and honor he feels to be serving under him. As I said before, reading the Before You Read gives you great insight on the poets you’re about to read. For instance they say, “Cavalier poets adopted the chivalrous code of intense loyalty to a leader, to God, and to the one beloved woman.” ("Before You Read" 263). Therefore you can clearly see similarities of the Cavalier poets shown throughout this poem by his loyalty to serve under any leader.
The Final characteristic showcased in Richard’s poem falls under the Renaissance. In a sense a view into the supernatural, using the natural. Lovelace does a pretty good job at manipulating this when he talks about how lucky he feels to have Althea’s love. He remarks, “If I have freedom in my love, And in my soul am free, Angels alone, that soar above, Enjoy such liberty.” (Lovelace 29-32). Here Lovelace is making a connection between his physical life and the eternal life by saying he is as lucky as the angels above because his soul is free because of his Love. This particular characteristic comes from the Renaissance time period. More specifically it is a Humanist view of life. As stated in an article about the Renaissance, “Humanism spread, focusing attention on human life here and now, as well as on eternal life.” (Renaissance 200). The focus on human and eternal life clearly shows that Lovelace has Renaissance traits throughout his poem.
To wrap it up, a reader can see traces of Cavalier poetry, Metaphysical poetry, and Renaissance time period all throughout Richard Lovelace’s poem. Cavalier poetry is shown first off by loyalty to his one and only Althea. Second he wrote with ease, but also very technical. A Metaphysical poetry trait can be found is Lovelace’s poem in his bold emotion and passion he feels about love. Continuing most of Richards poems sound like elegant conversation between two people. Furthermore there are many signs throughout his poem that show his attitude of being a modern-day knight. Also Lovelace’s major commitment and loyalty to his King shines through in his poem. Lastly his poem has a focus on human life as well as the after life.
Works Cited
“Before You Read,” Holt, Rinehart. Elements of literature [Gr. 12] Literature of Britain with world classics.. Austin [Tex.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2000. Print.
C.F. Main, “The Renaissance,” Holt, Rinehart. Elements of literature [Gr. 12] Literature of Britain with world classics.. Austin [Tex.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2000. Print.
C.F Main, Sir John Suckling 1609-1642 Richard Lovelace 16018-1657, Holt, Rinehart. Elements of literature [Gr. 12] Literature of Britain with world classics.. Austin [Tex.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2000. Print.
Holt, Rinehart. Elements of literature [Gr. 12] Literature of Britain with world classics.. Austin [Tex.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2000. Print.
Lovelace, Richard, “To Althea, from Prison,” Holt, Rinehart. Elements of literature [Gr. 12] Literature of Britain with world classics.. Austin [Tex.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2000. Print.
Metaphysical Poetry, Holt, Rinehart. Elements of literature [Gr. 12] Literature of Britain with world classics.. Austin [Tex.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2000. Print.
Mr. A
Brit Literature
January 22, 2013
Window Into Another World
Reading poems is sort of like taking a trip into another world. Part of the purpose of a poem is for each person to decide for themselves what to take away from it. In Richard Lovelace’s poem “To Althea, from Prison” you can see many different elements, ones that show Cavalier poetry such as, loyalty to one woman, being written technically and with ease, sounding like elegant conversation, modern-day knights, and loyalty to a leader, as well as Metaphysical Poetry by bold emotion and The Renaissance time period throughout the story through a focus on human life as well as eternal life.
The first Cavalier idea that appears in Lovelace’s poem is his loyalty to one specific woman. In this case his Love is Althea. His strong commitment to her can be shown when he talks about getting a visit from her at the prison gate. In the first stanza he says, “When Love with unconfined wings Hovers within my gates, And my divine Althea brings To whisper at the gates; When I lie tangled in her hair And fettered to her eye, The gods that wanton in the air Know no such liberty.” (Lovelace 1-8). This is an example of his intense loyalty because he is completely consumed by being with his Althea even if she is outside the gates of prison. This is an example of a characteristic of a Cavalier poet. loyalty to one woman was a major idea that was upheld by these types of poets. As shown in this quote from a literature textbook, “Cavalier poets adopted the chivalrous code of intense loyalty to a leader, to God, and to the one beloved woman” (“Before You Read” 263). So one might interpret from his poem that Richard Lovelace was indeed a Cavalier poet because of his loyalty to one woman.
The second characteristic of Cavalier poetry to show up in this poem is the ease and technicality it was written with. Most poems are, or try to be technically written. However it takes great talent to make a poem flow off the tongue as well as follow the boundaries of traditional poems. Richard did a great job of this. For instance when he describes his passionate love for Althea. He explains it this way, “When flowing cups run swiftly round, With no allaying Thames, Our careless heads with roses bound, Our hearts with loyal flames;” (Lovelace 9-12). This stanza is very flowing and rolls off the tongue. Despite this it is also very technical and follows poem rules, such as the first and third lines rhyming. The author of his Biography says this about the way he wrote, “Pope should have said that they seemed to write with ease, because he knew better than most people how hard it is to make any kind of writing, and especially poetry, sound easy and at the same time be technically accomplished.” (Sir John Suckling 1609-1642 Richard Lovelace 1618-1657 262). As you read and interpret Lovelace’s poem you can tell that it is very flowing and was written with ease. However it is still very technically written and follows the boundaries of poems. For example the 3rd and 5th lines in each stanza rhyme. How Lovelace wrote with ease and technicality, is another example of his Cavalier attitude shown throughout the poem.
The next idea found in the poem is his Metaphysical poetry ideas, such as his bold emotion. Lovelace makes it an effort to include bold emotion. Because of this you can almost feel whatever he is feeling in his poems. For example when he explains his hearts feelings toward Aletha. He describes their love and says, “Our careless head with roses bound, Our hearts with loyal flames;” (Lovelace 11-12). When he talks about loyal flames, flames mean fire or passion. Thus he feel a passion towards this girl which is showing his very bold emotion. Bold emotion is specifically mentioned as being a very important aspect of Metaphysical Poetry. An article all about Metaphysical Poetry says, “Metaphysical Poetry- a term that reflected it’s intensity of intellect, it’s self- conscious invention, and it’s bold emotion.” (Metaphysical Poetry 246). Through interpretation there is therefore a characteristic of Metaphysical Poetry being illustrated in this poem by his bold emotion.
Yet another Cavalier idea is seen in this poem is the way Lovelace writes to make it sound like elegant conversation. This particular poem sounds very sophisticated. For instance the last two lines in each stanza sound like they are spoken in old English, “Fishes that tipple in the deep Know no such liberty.” (Lovelace 15-16). One can see that this is a perfect example of how Lovelace’s choice of words reflects his want for his poetry to sound like elegant conversation. He could have just said that even the fish in the sea do not share my fortune, instead he chooses to word this part of his poem in a way that makes it sound much more elegant. Don’t take my word for it, take it from his biography. This statement talks about he and his close friend Sir John Suckling’s way of expressing themselves in their writing, “But these poets had more than politics in common; they shared a common literary goal, which was to write poems that sound like elegant conversation.” (Sir John Suckling 1609-1642 Richard Lovelace 1618-1657 262). By making his thought sound so elegant and complex, one can see yet another wonderful example of how Cavalier poetry is carried throughout his poem.
To continue another attitude of a Cavalier that is showcased throughout Lovelace’s poem is the push to behave like modern-day knights. Cavalier poets like Mr. Lovelace made it an important goal to uphold certain chivalrous qualities. A terrific quote to prove this is when Richard mentions how devoted he is to his King. His statement about his leader is, “When, like committed linnets, I With shriller throat shall sing The sweetness , mercy, majesty, And glories of my King;” (Lovelace 17-20) By interpreting this part of the poem a reader can tell he is speaking of his loyalty and respect to the King. This is a major connection to how the Cavalier poets thought of themselves as modern-day knights. As stated in the Before You Read from the literature textbook, “understanding the Cavalier poets, who saw themselves as modern-day knights.” ("Before You Read" 263). His strong loyalty to his King is another great example of how the Cavalier poets ideas and way of thinking is shown throughout this particular poem.
The Following characteristic of a Cavalier is very similar to the one mentioned in the previous paragraph, however the difference is this element explains his loyalty to follow any leader in general. Having a loyal and committed heart is a great quality to have. Lovelace certainly has just that. Especially when he talks again about his sworn allegiance to the King, this time more in depth, “When, like committed linnets, I With shriller throat shall sing The sweetness , mercy, majesty, And glories of my King; When I shall with a voice aloud how good He is, how great should be, Enlarged winds that curl the flood Know no such liberty.” (Lovelace 21-24). In this statement the author is describing how great he thinks his King and leader is and how much respect and honor he feels to be serving under him. As I said before, reading the Before You Read gives you great insight on the poets you’re about to read. For instance they say, “Cavalier poets adopted the chivalrous code of intense loyalty to a leader, to God, and to the one beloved woman.” ("Before You Read" 263). Therefore you can clearly see similarities of the Cavalier poets shown throughout this poem by his loyalty to serve under any leader.
The Final characteristic showcased in Richard’s poem falls under the Renaissance. In a sense a view into the supernatural, using the natural. Lovelace does a pretty good job at manipulating this when he talks about how lucky he feels to have Althea’s love. He remarks, “If I have freedom in my love, And in my soul am free, Angels alone, that soar above, Enjoy such liberty.” (Lovelace 29-32). Here Lovelace is making a connection between his physical life and the eternal life by saying he is as lucky as the angels above because his soul is free because of his Love. This particular characteristic comes from the Renaissance time period. More specifically it is a Humanist view of life. As stated in an article about the Renaissance, “Humanism spread, focusing attention on human life here and now, as well as on eternal life.” (Renaissance 200). The focus on human and eternal life clearly shows that Lovelace has Renaissance traits throughout his poem.
To wrap it up, a reader can see traces of Cavalier poetry, Metaphysical poetry, and Renaissance time period all throughout Richard Lovelace’s poem. Cavalier poetry is shown first off by loyalty to his one and only Althea. Second he wrote with ease, but also very technical. A Metaphysical poetry trait can be found is Lovelace’s poem in his bold emotion and passion he feels about love. Continuing most of Richards poems sound like elegant conversation between two people. Furthermore there are many signs throughout his poem that show his attitude of being a modern-day knight. Also Lovelace’s major commitment and loyalty to his King shines through in his poem. Lastly his poem has a focus on human life as well as the after life.
Works Cited
“Before You Read,” Holt, Rinehart. Elements of literature [Gr. 12] Literature of Britain with world classics.. Austin [Tex.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2000. Print.
C.F. Main, “The Renaissance,” Holt, Rinehart. Elements of literature [Gr. 12] Literature of Britain with world classics.. Austin [Tex.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2000. Print.
C.F Main, Sir John Suckling 1609-1642 Richard Lovelace 16018-1657, Holt, Rinehart. Elements of literature [Gr. 12] Literature of Britain with world classics.. Austin [Tex.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2000. Print.
Holt, Rinehart. Elements of literature [Gr. 12] Literature of Britain with world classics.. Austin [Tex.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2000. Print.
Lovelace, Richard, “To Althea, from Prison,” Holt, Rinehart. Elements of literature [Gr. 12] Literature of Britain with world classics.. Austin [Tex.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2000. Print.
Metaphysical Poetry, Holt, Rinehart. Elements of literature [Gr. 12] Literature of Britain with world classics.. Austin [Tex.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2000. Print.