To Althea, From Prison by Richard Lovelace

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The renaissance era was a time of great conflict, but also of great artistic achievements. The seventeenth century was laced with Cavalier poets. One of those whose talents stood above his peers was Richard Lovelace, who was most famous for his poem “To Althea, From Prison”. Behind cell bars, he wrote this linguistic masterpiece tapping into a deep inner thought which resonates for all ages and displays the ideals of freedom, honor and carpe diem to his readers to the extent that it significantly influenced society.
The poem was written as his most famous work but it’s said his most famous line of the poem was “stone walls do not a prison make/nor iron bars a cage”. . While in prison, Lovelace is in essence telling Parliament that the man-made walls can not imprison his mind and his thoughts are still free to express while in physical captivity. Although this is meant to be a love poem, clearly this poignant line is in direct reference to Parliament’s decision to jail him. The poem goes on to state “If I have freedom in my love And in my soul am free” to let Parliament know that Lovelace still considers himself a free man even behind their man made stone walls.

This esoteric thought in this famous line “stone walls do not…” is a fine example of Cavalier poetry for which he is notable in his time. King Charles was a lover of fine arts and surrounded himself with such poets. Cavalier poetry was allegorical in nature and while expressing joy, love, and admiration of fine arts, was also used to support the political positions of the throne. Cavaliers were soldiers of the throne and therefore “Cavalier Poets” started as a mocking term and ended up being a description of the type of Poets that King Charles kept in his poli...

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...n made walls for the body, but the mind and soul are not bound by walls and are free to open expression and declaration of passion. From the start of this piece he declares he is tangled and bound only by Althea’s hair and fettered only by staring into her eyes. The last statement declares that the only thing he is bound by is Althea’s love and that love sets him free. Richard Lovelace voices his opinion and the message soars across the populous and flows through the hearts of his readers.

Works Cited

Jokinen, Anniina. "The Life of Richard Lovelace." Luminarium [February6, 2014].
Lansberry, Frederick, ed. Government and Politics in Kent, 1640-1914.
Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press, 2001. 13. [February 6, 2014].
Quiller-Couch, Arthur Thomas, Sir. The Oxford Book of English Verse. Oxford: Clarendon, 1919, [c1901]; Bartleby.com, 1999. [February 6, 2014].

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