Even If You Are Locked Up

Most of my words refer to a poem that Richard Lovelace wrote in 1642 while imprisoned in England a few months before the English Civil War. His main point was that as long as you have love you will always be free, even if you are in prison. Richard Lovelace was in love. He was deeply in love with a woman named Althea. His poem, "To Althea From Prison," of four stanzas, starts off by mentioning how he felt when Althea would come to visit him. "When love with unconfined wings hovers within my gates, and my divine Althea brings to whisper at the grates......" He goes on to speak about the liberty that he feels because of his great love for her. He talks about the tremendous joy that he experiences.....because of his deep love for her. He talks as if he was not locked up. He refers to himself as a flying bird or a fish "tippling" in deep waters. He claimed he was more free than the wind. Why? All because of love. He concludes his poem with these last words:

"Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage; minds innocent and quiet take that for a hermitage; if I have freedom in my love and in my soul am free, Angels alone , that soar above enjoy such liberty."

Love made Richard free. I failed to mentioned something found in the third stanza of his poem. He spoke of how good his King was to him. As he refers to his King by saying: "The sweetness, mercy, majesty, and glories of my King," and that he would "voice aloud how good He is," I can't help but think: Lovelace is not referring to any ordinary King. He refers to a perfect King. The perfect King can do anything for you.....even if you are locked up.