Song: To Lucasta, Going to the Wars by Richard Lovelace

Context

To Lucasta, Going to the Wars by Richard Lovelace was written in 1649 during the English Civil War, a period of intense political and social upheaval in England.
Lovelace, a Cavalier poet, supported King Charles I against the Parliamentarians. The Cavaliers' poetry often celebrated themes of honour, loyalty, and love, reflecting their royalist ideals.
Lovelace wrote the poem while imprisoned for his royalist activities, addressing the tension between personal love and public duty.

Structure and Form

Form, Meter, and Rhyme

The poem consists of three quatrains (four-line stanzas).
It employs a consistent ABAB rhyme scheme, giving it a rhythmic and song-like quality.
The meter is primarily an iambic tetrameter, with each line consisting of four iambic feet (da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM).

Speaker and Setting

The speaker is a soldier addressing his lover, Lucasta, as he prepares to leave for war.
The setting is intimate and emotional, with the speaker trying to reconcile his sense of honour and duty with his love for Lucasta.

Poetic Devices

Apostrophe**:** The speaker directly addresses Lucasta, adding an emotional and personal tone to the poem.
Metaphor**:** The poem uses metaphors such as comparing Lucasta to a "nunnery" and war to a "mistress" to illustrate the speaker's conflicting loyalties.
Alliteration**:** Examples include "new mistress now I chase" and "first foe in the field", which create a musical quality and emphasize key ideas.
Consonance**:** The repetition of consonant sounds in words like "unkind," "nunnery," and "mind" adds to the poem's rhythm and cohesion.
Assonance**:** Vowel sounds in words like "quiet mind" and "stronger faith" contribute to the poem's euphony.
Paradox**:** The final lines present a paradox: the speaker claims he couldn't love Lucasta as much as he does if he didn't love honour more, highlighting the tension between personal affection and duty.
Enjambment**:** Lines flow into each other without punctuation, such as "embrace / A sword", creating a sense of urgency and continuity.

Key Themes

Love, Honor, and Sacrifice

"I could not love thee (Dear) so much, / Lov'd I not Honour more."

The poem explores the conflict between personal love and the duty to uphold one's honour.
The speaker argues that his departure is not a betrayal but a testament to his principles, suggesting that true love requires sacrifice and integrity.

Similar Poems

Love (III) by George Herbert: Both poems highlight the complex interplay between love, duty, and self-worth.

Line by Line Analysis

Lines 1-4

Tell me not, Sweet, I am unkind,

That from the nunnery

Of thy chaste breast and quiet mind

To war and arms I fly.

"Tell me not, Sweet, I am unkind,"

The speaker anticipates that his lover, Lucasta, might think him unkind for leaving her, setting a defensive tone from the outset.
The use of "Sweet" as a term of endearment adds a personal and intimate touch.

"That from the nunnery / Of thy chaste breast and quiet mind"

The metaphor of a "nunnery" implies that Lucasta's heart and mind are pure and serene, a place of refuge and tranquillity.
This image contrasts sharply with the turmoil and violence of war.

"To war and arms I fly."

The speaker explains that he is leaving this peaceful refuge for the chaos of war, using the word "fly" to suggest urgency and a sense of duty.
"Arms" here refers to weapons, indicating the speaker's commitment to battle.

Lines 5-8

True, a new mistress now I chase,

The first foe in the field;

And with a stronger faith embrace

A sword, a horse, a shield.

"True, a new mistress now I chase,"

The speaker admits to pursuing a "new mistress", metaphorically referring to war as a new object of his devotion.
This metaphor highlights the conflict between his love for Lucasta and his duty to fight.

"The first foe in the field;"

The "first foe" represents the enemy in battle, continuing the metaphor of war as a mistress.
This line emphasizes the speaker's commitment to face his enemy head-on.

"And with a stronger faith embrace / A sword, a horse, a shield."

The speaker claims that his faith in his cause is stronger than his romantic love, as he embraces the tools of war.
The enjambment between lines 7 and 8 emphasizes the word "embrace", linking it to both his lover and his duty.

Lines 9-12

Yet this inconstancy is such

As you too shall adore;

I could not love thee (Dear) so much,

Lov'd I not Honour more.

"Yet this inconstancy is such / As you too shall adore;"

The speaker believes that Lucasta will come to admire his commitment to honour, even if it seems like infidelity.
The enjambment here creates a sense of continuity and inevitability.