Richard Lovelace's "To Althea, from Prison": Cavalier Poetry Context

Richard Lovelace: "To Althea, from Prison" (1642)

This celebrated poem, “To Althea, from Prison,” was written in 1642 by Richard Lovelace, a prominent Cavalier poet. The year 1642 marked the beginning of the tumultuous English Civil War, providing a critical context for the poem's creation.

The Reign of Charles I and Political Conflict

The political climate was highly volatile. King Charles I, like all the Stuarts, staunchly believed in the Divine Right of Kings, asserting that the monarch’s power was conferred directly by God and therefore could not be disputed. This belief led to serious conflicts with the Parliament, which sought to control the King’s government, particularly regarding taxation.

Charles I attempted to circumvent parliamentary control by finding alternative sources of income, such as:

• The sale of monopolies and titles.
• The establishment of indirect taxes.

This policy generated widespread discontent among Parliamentarians and the English people.

The Eleven Years' Tyranny

In 1629, King Charles I dissolved Parliament, initiating his Personal Rule, often referred to as “The Eleven Years’ Tyranny,” which lasted until 1640. This action only aggravated the Parliamentarian opposition. Charles’s two biggest supporters were executed, and he had left London to establish his army at Nottingham. In August 1642, Charles openly declared war against Parliament.

Cavaliers vs. Roundheads: The English Civil War (1642–1651)

The English Civil War pitted two main factions against each other:

Cavaliers (Royalists)

The Cavaliers, also known as Royalists, were supporters of King Charles I. They were typically:

• Aristocrats and landowners, primarily from the North, West, and Wales.
• Known for their long hair and elegant dress.
• Adherents of the Anglican religion.
• Defenders of the privileges of the nobility of blood.

Roundheads (Parliamentarians)

The Roundheads supported Parliament. They generally came from:

• The South and East.
• The middle and lower classes.
• They wore their hair short and dressed plainly, as most were Puritans.

Lovelace's Imprisonment and the Poem's Genesis

Richard Lovelace, a fervent Cavalier, became directly involved in this conflict. He presented a petition to the British Parliament protesting the Bishops Exclusion Bill. This bill aimed to prevent those heavily involved with the Church of England from exercising temporal control. Lovelace sought the restoration of Anglican Bishops in Parliament.

His protest led to a seven-week imprisonment, during which he composed “To Althea, from Prison.” The poem is addressed to Althea, an anonymous woman with whom he was in love.

Poetic Structure and Meter

The poem is structured into four octaves. It primarily employs a combination of iambic meter:

• Iambic Tetrameters: (e.g., Verse 1: “When love with unconfined wings”)
• Iambic Trimeters: (e.g., Verse 2: “Hovers within my gates”)

Occasional metrical variations, such as the use of trochees (e.g., Verse 15: “Fishes...”), introduce a change in rhythm. This adjustment usually serves to adapt to the natural accent of certain words or to emphasize them.