Madison Schantz 1
I.
II.
To Althea From Prison
a. Richard Lovelace
The narrator is trapped in prison however he speaks of being free and love. The man
believes that despite his physical containments, the love he has for “Althea” sets his soul
free. To portray this, the author uses many literary devices as well as a carefree tone in a
cavalier style poem. A cavalier poem typically relates to topics of idealistic love and
admiration to King Charles I which Lovelace typically references in this poem.
III.
“When Love with unconfinéd wings
Hovers within my gates; And my divine
Althea brings to whisper at the grates:”
(lines 1-4)
“When I lie tangled in her hair, And
fettered to her eye; The gods that
wanton in the air, know no such liberty”
(lines 5-8)
“When flowing cups run swiftly round
With no allaying Thames, Our careless
heads with roses bound, Our hearts with
loyal flames” (lines 9-12)
“When thirsty grief in wine we steep,
When healths and drafts go free, Fishes
that tipple in the deep, Know no such
liberty” (lines 13-16)
“When (like committed linnets) I with
shriller throat shall sing The sweetness,
mercy, majesty, And glories of my king;”
(lines 17-20)
“When I shall voice aloud, how good He
is, how great should be; Enlargéd winds
that curl the flood, Know no such
liberty” (lines 21-24)
“Stones walls do not a prison make, Nor
iron bars a cage; Minds innocent and
quiet take That for a hermitage;” (lines
25-28)
“If I have freedom in my love, And in my
soul I am free; Angels alone that soar
above, Enjoy such liberty.” (lines 29-32)
A man is trapped inside a prison cell,
however he believes that despite the
boundaries he is placed in, Althea’s
whisper in his head is enough to set him
free
The narrator is convinced that Althea’s
love makes him freer than the birds that
roam the sky because they have never
had a love like he has
He imagines himself & Althea drinking
wine and rejoicing the King. They share
a love for not only each other but King
Charles I as well.
They sit and enjoy their wine and he
realizes his rights are being taken away
but still praises the king.
The bars of prison cannot keep him from
singing his love for the King and Althea
He believes as he praises his King, not
even the wind can sound better than he.
The prison walls cannot confine him, or
his feelings. He takes prison as a gift to
concentrate on his feelings and what
matters the most to him; Althea and the
principles by which he lives.
His soul remains free therefor the angels
above are the only ones that enjoy his
liberty of freedom.
Madison Schantz 2
V.
VI.
Literary Devices
a. Imageryi. “When I lie tangled in her hair, and fettered to her eye...” (lines 5-6)
1.
ii. “Fishes that tipple in the deep Know no such liberty” (lines 15-16)
iii. “Stones walls do not a prison make nor iron bars a cage” (lines 25-26)
1. The quotes listed above show that the narrator used a vivid imagination
to portray his love. The first quote states that he can see her face and
remember the times he shared with her previous to prison. Her face
and other features such as her hair keep her appearance clear in his
imagination. The second quote compares his love to fish that have
never experienced the love he has felt for Althea. Lastly, the stone walls
show that in his mind, they cannot keep him confined, his love remains
free.
b. Repetition
i. “Know no such liberty” (lines 8,16, 24)
ii. “Enjoy such liberty” (line 32)
1. The repetition used in this poem demonstrates his need to make the
love he has for Althea clear. He says that the “gods that wanton in the
air” (line 7) and the “fishes that tipple in the deep” (line 15) do not
enjoy the liberty of feeling true love. In the last stanza he states that
“Angels alone that soar above, enjoy such liberty” (lines 31-32). He
believes that only the angels have experienced the love he has for
Althea. Repetition provides strong examples that show his undying love
for Althea.
c. Rhyme Scheme
i. A,B,A,B,C,D,C,D,E,F
1. The rhyme scheme proves to be normal for a poem with a couplet at
the end of each stanza. The poem consists of 4 stanzas with 8 lines
each.
d. Paradox
i. A paradox is when something that you don’t typically expect, occurs.
1. This poem proves to be a paradox because an ordinary prisoner would
not feel free when in jail. He would experience feelings of unhappiness,
anger, rage, even remorse. This prisoner feels joyous and believes his
love is setting him free despite physical barriers. Therefore, the
unexpected occurs.
Tone
a. Loving, Light Hearted, Sentimental
i. The tone of this poem is sentimental. A man dreams of his love setting him free
despite being in prison. He is loving and hopeful and remains light-hearted. The
poem he writes to Althea proves to be charming and flattering.
Madison Schantz 3
VII.
VIII.
Theme
a. Love trumps all
i. The theme of the poem proves that love can conquer all. It does not matter the
conditions are occurring, true love with always find its way. The narrator
believes that his love trumps the prison bars in which he is behind as well as the
time he is serving. The love he has for Althea runs free like the love he shows
for his King. Not once will he ever question the love he has for her because she
is vivid in his mind every day. The poem shows that under no circumstances will
the narrator ever give up his love.
Sources
a. "To Althea, From Prison: Analysis." To Althea, From Prison: Analysis. N.p., n.d. Web. 02
Dec. 2012. <http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides3/Althea.html>.
b. "Cavalier Poetry." Cavalier Poetry. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2012.
<http://www.frmtr.com/tarih-ve-inkilap-tarihi/685329-cavalier-poetry.html>.