Poetry Slam!: "To Althea, from Prison" by Richard Lovelace

Richard Lovelace wrote this poem while imprisoned in London by the British Parliament for his support of King Charles I. Read the text here.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. unconfined
    not restricted
    When Love with unconfined wings
    Hovers within my gates,
    And my divine Althea brings
    To whisper at the grates;
    When I lie tangled in her hair,
    And fetter'd to her eye,
    The gods, that wanton in the air,
    Know no such liberty.
  2. hover
    hang in the air; fly or be suspended above
    When Love with unconfined wings
    Hovers within my gates,
    And my divine Althea brings
    To whisper at the grates;
    When I lie tangled in her hair,
    And fetter'd to her eye,
    The gods, that wanton in the air,
    Know no such liberty.
  3. grate
    a barrier with parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage
    When Love with unconfined wings
    Hovers within my gates,
    And my divine Althea brings
    To whisper at the grates;
    When I lie tangled in her hair,
    And fetter'd to her eye,
    The gods, that wanton in the air,
    Know no such liberty.
  4. fetter
    restrain with shackles
    When Love with unconfined wings
    Hovers within my gates,
    And my divine Althea brings
    To whisper at the grates;
    When I lie tangled in her hair,
    And fetter'd to her eye,
    The gods, that wanton in the air,
    Know no such liberty.
  5. liberty
    personal freedom from servitude or confinement or oppression
    When Love with unconfined wings
    Hovers within my gates,
    And my divine Althea brings
    To whisper at the grates;
    When I lie tangled in her hair,
    And fetter'd to her eye,
    The gods, that wanton in the air,
    Know no such liberty.
  6. allay
    lessen the intensity of or calm
    When flowing cups run swiftly round
    With no allaying Thames,
    Our careless heads with roses bound,
    Our hearts with loyal flames;
    When thirsty grief in wine we steep,
    When healths and draughts go free,
    Fishes, that tipple in the deep,
    Know no such liberty.
  7. bound
    secured with a cover or binding
    When flowing cups run swiftly round
    With no allaying Thames,
    Our careless heads with roses bound,
    Our hearts with loyal flames;
    When thirsty grief in wine we steep,
    When healths and draughts go free,
    Fishes, that tipple in the deep,
    Know no such liberty.
  8. grief
    intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one
    When flowing cups run swiftly round
    With no allaying Thames,
    Our careless heads with roses bound,
    Our hearts with loyal flames;
    When thirsty grief in wine we steep,
    When healths and draughts go free,
    Fishes, that tipple in the deep,
    Know no such liberty.
  9. steep
    let sit in a liquid to extract a flavor or to cleanse
    When flowing cups run swiftly round
    With no allaying Thames,
    Our careless heads with roses bound,
    Our hearts with loyal flames;
    When thirsty grief in wine we steep,
    When healths and draughts go free,
    Fishes, that tipple in the deep,
    Know no such liberty.
  10. shrill
    having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
    When (like committed linnets) 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.
  11. mercy
    the act of showing great kindness toward the distressed
    When (like committed linnets) 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.
  12. flood
    the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto land
    When (like committed linnets) 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.
  13. innocent
    free from sin
    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.
  14. hermitage
    the abode of a recluse
    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.
  15. soar
    fly upwards or high in the sky
    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.
  16. enjoy
    take delight in
    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.
Created on Fri Feb 17 09:22:24 EST 2012 (updated Fri Oct 20 15:26:06 EDT 2017)

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