Welcome back to the Daily Poem here on the Close Reeds Podcast Network. I'm David Kern, and today is

Monday, March 2, 2020. Welcome to March. Today's poem is by Richard Lovelace, a 17th century English poet who

lived from 1617 to 1657. And the poem that I'm going to read today is called to Althea from prison.

I'll read it once, as usual, offer a few comments, and then read it again. And this is how it goes.

When love with unconfited wings hovers within my gates, and my divine Althea brings to whisper at the

grates when I lie tangled in her hair and fettered to her eye the birds that want in the air know

no such liberty when flowing cups run swiftly round with no allaying thames, our careful heads with roses bound, our hearts

with royal flames. When thirsty grief and wine we steep, when health and draughts go free.

Fishes that tipple in the deep, no, no such liberty. When like committed linnet's, I with shriller throat shall sing the sweetness, mercy, majesty,

and glories of my king, when I shall voice aloud how good he is, how great should be enlarged

winds that curl the flood, know no such liberty.

Stone walls do not a prison make, 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, angels alone

that soar above enjoy such liberty.

So this poem was written when Richard Lovelace was in prison.

During the English Civil War, he was a supporter of the king.

He was a cavalier.

And I want to share with you a little bit about what Carol Ruhmanns about this poem, because she has some good context for it, which might be helpful.

And then she also offers some insights into the form and the themes of the poem that I like to share with you as well.

She can do it better than I can.

And she notes, quote, Parliament had ousted the Anglican bishops,

and Lovelace's crime was to have presented a petition on their

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