Richard Lovelace wrote beautiful, romantic poems due to his wealth and royal connections;

he had no worries with society, with government, or with the current events at the time. He has only
the struggles of love to battle, so he was affected in a way that caused him to write about things
other than society and politics. His life, at the time, was free and lavish, and his only mentioned
struggle with his state is feeling trapped in the world.
---------In writing To Althea, From Prison, Richard Lovelace not only gives poetic expression to the
power of love but he also delivers an influential political message; that no form of imprisonment can
suppress one's beliefs. By not referencing the monarchs or events that occurred during his time of
writing, and instead using generic vocabulary - such as 'King' - Lovelace extends the meanings of his
poem, to be applicable universally. 'Love', as mentioned in the opening line, is the surface theme of
this poem; Lovelace writes to Althea as if she were the subject of his dreams, his true love. In four
octave-long stanzas, he presents the powerful notion that against all duress, his love for Althea will
prevail. Yet, readers are constantly aware of Lovelace's coupling belief, of divine freedom in love and
in personal belief: 'If I have freedom in my love, / And in my soul am free, /Angels alone, soar above,
/ Enjoy such liberty.
In terms of meter, To Althea, From Prison alters between iambic tetrameter and trimeter,
which emphasizes the basic rhythm of a song/ballad. Though his poem may seem regular, with four
stanzas, an ABABCDCD rhyme scheme and a common meter, it is the poem's hidden intricacies that
reveal its deeper meanings. In terms of content, Lovelace's vocabulary suggests freedom and
mobility despite writing from prison, with the words 'unconfined' and 'wanton'. His innocence is
conveyed through the fact that his poem doesn't use death or dark imagery as a base line to
compare his efforts against. He instead measures his freedom against the natural elements. As for
Elizabeth I's poem, simplistic diction is the key to delivering a clear and obvious message. Some critics
say that this simplicity mocks the French understanding of this poem. Nonetheless, the majority
should contend that On Monsieur's Departure is a socially acceptable dismissal of a marriage
proposal.
As seen in the poem, love is merely the surface subject of the poem . The 'celebration of love'
is merely a tool; and though To Althea, From Prison can be read as a beautifully-crafted love poem,
its universal significance - as a poem that delivers an influential political message - makes for a more
substantial and thought-provoking literary piece.
-------------http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides3/Althea.html
------------Richard Lovelace (16171657) was an English poet in the seventeenth century. He was a
cavalier poet who fought on behalf of the king during the Civil War. His best known works are "To
Althea, from Prison," and "To Lucasta, Going to the Warres."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Lovelace#Literature