Text of the Poem |
Summaries and Notes |
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When Love with unconfinèd wings |
Although in prison, the poet is freer than the birds that fly about at |
Hovers within my gates, |
will. Why? Because his mind is free. He can imagine his love, |
And my divine Althea brings |
Althea, so close to him that he becomes tangled in her hair and |
To whisper at the grates; |
their gazes meet when they are only inches apart. |
When I lie tangled in her hair |
è: The grave accent over the e indicates that the letter receives |
And fetter'd to her eye, |
full pronunciation: UN kon FY ned |
The birds that wanton in the air |
within my gates: inside the prison; grates: bars, grill |
Know no such liberty. |
wanton: fly freely and aimlessly |
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When flowing cups run swiftly round |
Fishes have a whole ocean from which to drink. But they are less |
With no allaying Thames, |
free to drink than I am here in prison. My imagination makes |
Our careless heads with roses bound, |
bottomless cups flow with wine–without water from the River |
Our hearts with loyal flames; |
Thames to dilute it–as I and my friends wear rosy wreaths and |
When thirsty grief in wine we steep, |
toast the king. We may mourn the loss of our rights, but still there |
When healths and draughts go free– |
are toasts (healths) and draughts (the taking in of wine). |
Fishes that tipple in the deep |
loyal flames: support for the king |
Know no such liberty. |
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When, like committed linnets, I |
Though I am in prison, I am free to sing the praises of my king. |
With shriller throat shall sing |
No wind, however strong, can make as great a sound as I can |
The sweetness, mercy, majesty, |
when I sing the glories of my monarch. |
And glories of my King; |
committed linnets: caged birds that include canaries and |
When I shall voice aloud how good |
sparrows |
He is, how great should be, |
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Enlargèd winds, that curl the flood, |
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Know no such liberty. |
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Stone walls do not a prison make, |
The walls and iron bars that surround me cannot imprison me, |
Nor iron bars a cage; |
for my mind remains free. Because I am innocent of wrongdoing, |
Minds innocent and quiet take |
I regard prison as a hermitage, a retreat where I can concentrate |
That for an hermitage; |
on what matters to me–my love for Althea and the principles by |
If I have freedom in my love |
which I live. Only angels have as much freedom as I do. |
And in my soul am free, |
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Angels alone, that soar above, |
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Enjoy such liberty. |