Patriot Roses symbolize people
love affection towards
1 year back: - patriot. Myrtles symbolizes
bitterness which is quite
like people behaviour
The patriot was welcomed with roses and myrtles in his path like mad. He was
given respect, honor and admiration. There were so many people on the
house roofs that it seemed to sway. The church spires were decorated with
beautiful flags. The patriot received grand welcome.
The bells rang to announce his arrival “mist of bells” the old walls of the
buildings used to shake with the crowd and their loud cries. The people were
so much impressed by his work that even if he asks the people for the sun,
they would give him and would say “afterwards what else?”
Present: -
There is now a change of tone. The speaker now regrets and says that it was
him that leaped at the sun for his loving friends. It was the speaker who went
ahead to do every possible thing for people interest. Patriot feels dejected at
his deeds.
There is nobody on house tops now. Only the ones suffering from “palsy” are
there. Rest of the people are at shambles gate by scaffold foot to get better
view of his execution.
The speaker is moving in the rain, hands are tied with the rope which makes
the wrist cut. The speaker thinks that his head is bleeding as the people who
used to throw the roses and myrtles in his path now throwing stones at him.
Now the patriot has entered the gates of death and is now ready to go to his
‘life after death’. This shows that he believed in reincarnation. The speaker has
now resigned himself to fate. He says that in great victory or success people
often drop down dead. He believes that if he has not been rewarded in this
world he will be surely rewarded in next world. He feels safe in the hands of
God.
Mythological reference to Icarus, son of Even the most important and the most
Daedalus, who dared to fly too near the loved people have lost their glamour
sun, which melted down his waxed and glory. The most victorious and
wings. consequently, Icarus plunged to successful people too
his death in the sea.
Theme:
1. Public fickleness- the poem portrays how love and honor given to
someone is momentary and is subject to erratic changes. One year ago,
the patriot was welcomed and acknowledged. He was treated God-like.
He was given hero welcome on his arrival in town. But today he is been
taken to scaffold for execution. The same public who used to throw
roses and myrtles in his path now throw stones at him. Earlier to
welcome the patriot the house seemed to sway because of lot of people
cheering but now only people suffering with palsy stay at the window.
The people who used to promise him anything are now taking him to
his end.
2. Rise and fall of glory- within a span of year the patriot experiences both
love and lovelessness. The same public who used to throw roses and
myrtles in his path now throw stones at him. This shows his downfall
from beloved hero to a condemned traitor. The speaker was perhaps
overambitious. “Vaulting ambition” led him to his downfall. It can be
concluded that it was the patriot error that he crosses the boundaries
and he lost his popularity.
3. Faith in God- the poet used the mythology of Icarus to describe the
ambition of a man. this gives us the moral of the poem “to never be too
ambitious.” In the last line the patriot says that even if the world thinks
that he has done something wrong, he knows that he has done
everything he could. Death is not the end. The patriot hopes that he
would be rewarded by God as he has not been rewarded in this life.
Thus, this statement reflects bowman’s faith in God.
