THE PATRIOT

The poem The Patriot by Robert Browning shows the fortune of a hero which can change very swiftly. It is a story of punishment or rather rewards ironically forced upon the speaker of the poem within a year for his services. 

 

STANZA-WISE EXPLANATIONS OF THE PATRIOT

STANZA – 1

The poem begins with the speaker reminiscing a past incident that occurred exactly a year ago with him. The people of the town gave him a grand welcome. The opening lines of the poem show that the citizens have strewn on his path roses mixed with myrtles as gestures of their love for him.

EXPLANATION OF THE PATRIOT

It seemed that the roofs of the houses would shake with the crowd gathered on them. Even they decorated the spires of the church with beautiful flags which flew in the breeze like flames of fire. In this way, the people welcomed the speaker on his arrival to the town a year ago.

STANZA-2 OF THE PATRIOT

The second stanza is a prolongation of the first stanza. It tells about the craziness of the people on his arrival to the town. The ringing of bells filled the air to announce the arrival of the patriot. The walls of old buildings were so filled up with people and their cries that they shook.

EXPLANATION

He had so molded the crowd that even if he had asked them to bring the sun for him, they willingly would have accepted his demand. And then they would ask him what else would he need after that.

STANZA-3

The speaker now expresses his regrets for having leaped at the sun for the people of the town whom he loved dearly. In fact, he went ahead to do every possible action for the interest of the public. Here Browning makes the reference to Icarus, ( Greek mythology ) the son of Daedalus who was a master craftsman.

EXPLANATION

While escaping from Crete by the means of wings made of wax by Daedalus, he warned his son Icarus not to be overconfident and keep himself neither too low nor too high during their flight. Icarus turned a deaf ear to his father’s instructions and went too near the sun which melted his wax wings and he fell headlong into the ocean and drowned.

EXPLANATION

Browning has intentionally made reference to Icarus in this stanza. He wanted to show it is not wise to be overconfident as well as over-ambitious which unfortunately the speaker of the poem had become. The speaker says that he had done everything which is capable for any human being to do. He feels sure of doing all that any man could have done.

EXPLANATION OF 

But the reward he received which he calls his harvest has left him with a feeling of dejection. A complete change has taken place for him within a year.

STANZA – 4

The present stanza is a contrast to the first stanza. In this stanza, the speaker sees those very housetops are empty. Only a few old and sick people who can not walk up to the scaffold to watch his death execution are there.

EXPLANATION

This juxtaposition of his present miserable state as a traitor against a year ago’s warm welcome as a patriot shows his lifetime achievement. From the poem, it is already clear to us that he has power. But what is not clear is the amount of power and what type of power he exactly enjoyed in his state.

EXPLANATION

It also does not clearly reflect the type and the number of people who went to the scaffolds to watch his hanging. A year ago the people with great interest gathered on housetops and old walls, to see the speaker’s arrival to town. Hence, the old buildings shook under their burdens. However, they are now more interested in watching his death execution. And so have gathered at “ Shambles Gate “ where they have placed the scaffold. This stanza is again an extension or continuation of the previous stanza.

EXPLANATION OF THE PATRIOT

This gives a more detailed description of the public humiliation that the speaker undergoes. They not only took him to the scaffolds at the Shambles Gate but also tied his hands behind with a rope so tightly that his wrists got cut and started bleeding. The public is even stoning which draws blood from his forehead. The public stone him as a punishment for his year’s misdeeds.

EXPLANATION 

A typical of Browning’s poems, the use of pathetic fallacy is made. The speaker is made to walk in the rain. The rain not only wets him to lose his dignity but also symbolically proves his innocence by washing him clean. The rain also symbolizes corruption and a negative mood.

EXPLANATION OF THE PATRIOT

The situation describes the common citizens who in general are corrupt in nature. Since they are hanging a person who has not done anything wrong. Browning has built up an atmosphere of tension to show the speaker was very near the end of his life. He uses the imageries of rain which depicts gloominess. The poet even uses the imagery of a rope cutting the wrists of the speaker. He again uses the imagery of people flinging stones at him to highlight the fickle-mindedness of the public.

STANZA-5

In the last stanza of the poem the speaker finally meets his death. The ending of the poem however is more optimistic compared to the general tone of the poem. The speaker ultimately realizes that for some people their doom is brought by their act of goodness for others.

EXPLANATION OF THE PATRIOT

Like many of Browning’s poems, the poet or the speaker gives a universal meaning to the poem by making reference to religion. Now he is no more upset. He feels safe with the thought that God is there to judge the wrong done against him.

EXPLANATION

Although he is dying, he knows morally that he has done no wrong and this thought of his fills him with a sense of safety and a surety that after his death, he will go to heaven, and there is no fear of him to go to hell, though the public feels he will go to hell for his misdeeds.

EXPLANATION OF THE PATRIOT

The poem in fact ends with a question from Browning if it is better to be in the other world where there is no corruption like the world where we live but only peace prevails or to remain in this world full of corruption.