To Althea, From Prison

To Althea, from Prison

Richard Lovelace (1618-1657)

• Lovelace was considered attractive and witty.
• He was a fierce supporter of the king (Master of Arts Degree)
• Took part in the English Civil Wars of 1640s (Roundheads v Royalists)
• Imprisoned twice by Cromwell supporters for supporting King Charles
• Wrote “To Althea” while in prison
• Although wealthy early in life, died in poverty

WHEN Love with unconfinèd wings

Hovers within my gates,

And my divine Althea brings

To whisper at the grates;

When I lie tangled in her hair 5

And fetter'd to her eye,

The Gods that wanton in the air

Know no such liberty.

When flowing cups run swiftly round

With no allaying Thames, 10

Our careless heads with roses bound,

Our hearts with loyal flames;

When thirsty grief in wine we steep,

When healths and draughts go free—

Fishes that tipple in the deep 15

Know no such liberty.

When, (like committed linnets), I

With shriller throat shall sing

The sweetness, mercy, majesty,

And glories of my King; 20

When I shall voice aloud how good

He is, how great should be,

Enlargèd winds, that curl the flood,

Know no such liberty.

Stone walls do not a prison make, 25

Nor iron bars a cage;

Minds innocent and quiet take

That for an hermitage;

If I have freedom in my love

And in my soul am free, 30

Angels alone, that soar above,

Enjoy such liberty.

fettered: confined or restrained

Gods referring birds

wanton: to squander or waste

allaying: calming or relieving

draughts: portions of liquid to be drunk

tipple: to drink liquor in excess

committed linnets: caged finches (birds)

hermitage: retreat or hideaway

Referring to the king of that period (King Charles)

Summary

• People can take away the speaker's physical freedom, but when he thinks of his lover, he feels free.
• His mind cannot be contained even though he is in captivity.
• Mental captivity is worse than any kind of physical captivity.
• The cliche “you can do what you want to me, I don’t care” describes the speaker's attitude towards physical confinement.
• The speaker has mental freedom, no matter where he is.

Themes

• Physical confinement is acceptable but mental capacity is a necessity that no one can take away.
• The mind is free wherever the body is.

"Stone walls do not a prison make, /

Nor iron bars a cage" (Lovelace 25-26)

Paradox: Iron is needed to make a cage, but Lovelace is saying that although iron bars and a prison are made to contain someone's body, they cannot control the mind of the contained (this is the central theme of the poem).

"If I have freedom in my love/

And in my soul am free, /

Angels alone, that soar above, /

Enjoy such liberty" (Lovelace 29-32)

The speaker has been comparing freedom to physical or tangible ideas like birds.

• Birds can be physically free but since they are birds, they cannot think and therefore cannot be free mentally.

Now, he is comparing freedom to mental or intangible ideas.

• Angels are not tangible, but they are thought to have physical freedom and mental freedom. Since angels cannot be caged or controlled, Lovelace feels equal to an angel because his mind cannot be controlled.

The Renaissance

• The poem applies to the Renaissance because the speaker makes a reference to a King (Lovelace 20), who was King Charles.
• This poem was written during Lovelace's imprisonment for being a supporter of King Charles during the English Civil War.
• Emphasizes the importance of thinking, a Renaissance ideal.

Overall Summary

Mental freedom can never be taken away from someone even though physical freedom can.

physical constraints

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