The Patriot by Robert Browning

1 Who is the speaker here? Where is he and in what condition?

T he sp ea ke r here is the p a triot. A t p rese nt he is in a ve ry m ise ra b le co nd itio n.
H e ha s b ee n a rreste d a nd is b e in g led to the sc a ffo ld to b e ha n ge d for his
m isd ee d s. H e is p a ssing thro ug h so m e stre et in a tow n.

2 What happened a year ago?

J ust a ye a r a go the p a trio t ha d b e en w elc om e d o n his re turn. H e w a s ha ile d
(ca lle d) a s a he ro for his glo rio us vic tory.

3 How was he welcomed?

R o ses a nd m yrtle s w e re stre w n o n the p a th to b e tro dd e n b y the p a trio t. R o ses
b e ing the sym b o l o f lov e, re ve a l the pe op le’s lo v e fo r their hero . P e o ple
c ro w d e d o ve r the roo f to p s to ha ve a g lim pse of th e p a trio t. The churc h be lls
w e re rung .

4 What brought about the change in his life?

P eo p le m isu nde rsto od him . H e w a s a rre sted fo r h is m isde e ds. H e w a s to b e
h a nge d . This m isun de rsta nd ing o n the pa rt o f the p e op le b ou ght a b ou t the sa d
c ha ng e in his life .

5 “The house- roofs seemed to heave and sway.” Explain.

T he to w n w a s cra m pe d w ith h ouse s, a s w a s c om m o n in Victo ria n tim e s. W h en
c ro w d s of pe o ple c lim b e d o ve rhea d ho use-roo fs the y se em ed to sha ke a nd
sw a y. The pe o ple w e re w a ving a nd c hee ring him . P e o ple thro ng ed there to
h a ve a b ette r view of their hero .

1 Who is reminded of his past? Why?

T he p oe t is re m in de d o f his pa st. T he p a trio t - p erha p s A rnold o f B resa ia - is
b e ing led to the g a llow s fo r his e xe cutio n. A s h e is b e ing le d , h e rem e m b ers
h ow just a ye a r a go , he w a s w orship pe d b y the sa m e pe op le w ho a re no w
tre a ting him like a c rim in a l.

2 What happened a year ago?

A year ago, this same patriot was welcomed by the people, and his path was
strewn with fragrant roses, the church towers were decorated with victory flags.
The people were mad with zeal, and enthusiasm to see him, come back after
his grand victory to welcome him.
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3 What ‘bells’ are being referred to here? Why were they rung?
The 'bells' that are being referred to here are the bells of a church tower, which
was decorated for the patriot's welcome. They were rung in honour of the
patriot's return.
4 What tells you that the speaker was swayed by the enthusiasm of his
admirers? What proves him wrong?
The fact that the patriot thinks that even if he had demanded the sun, from the
sky, the people would still have granted that to him, because of their happiness.
This tells that the patriot was swayed by their enthusiasm. The sight of the
same people now wanting him to die, and hurling (throwing) stones at him
even during his execution, proves him wrong.

5 Why is the patriot punished? What makes him sad?

The patriot is punished for certain 'misdeeds' that he had done, which made all
the people turn against him. Seeing the same people who once loved him, a
year ago, now hating him, and wanting him to be executed, makes him sad.

Why was the patriot welcomed as a hero? How was he welcomed?

The patriot was welcomed a year ago for his victory, as a hero. He had won a
grand victory. He did whatever he could for his countrymen. He was welcomed
as a hero. To welcome him, his path was filled with roses, church towers were
decorated, and blazed with victory flags, people cheered for him. The church
bells rung in honour of the patriot.

2 In what mood is the speaker now? Where is he at present?

The speaker is in a very sad mood. He feels dejected because the people have
forgotten all that he had done for them. At present, he is now on his way to the
Shamble's Gate, with his hands tied, about to be executed.

3 What tells you that the patriot was overambitious? What was the result?
The fact that he thinks that his people would have done anything for him, tells
us that he was overambitious. He tried to do the impossible to please his
admirers. As a result, only because of his misdeeds, he is now being taken to
the gates of death, on the will of the same people, he thought loved him.

4 What do you mean by ‘harvest’? What has the speaker reaped?

'Harvest' is referring to the reward he got, for the victory he got for his people,
according to the speaker. He tried to do the impossible for the pleasure of his
admirers and countrymen. But he was arrested for some misdeeds and is
being led to the gallows to be executed. The speaker has reaped the reward of
hate, and death, from the same people, who once welcomed him.
5 Where is he being led to? What thought makes him reconcile with his
fate?
H e is be ing led to the ga llo w s to b e e xe cu te d in p ublic for so m e m isd ee ds tha t
h e ha d c o m m itte d . H e rec onc ile s him self w ith h is fa te b y thinking tha t if he ha s
n ot b ee n re w a rd ed b y the p eo p le , he is ce rta in to be rew a rd ed by G o d in hea v en.
H e fee ls sa fe in the b oso m of G od .

What has made most of the people leave the town?

Most of the people have left the town, so as to get to the Shamble's Gate, to
get a better view of the patriot’s execution. Only a few paralysed persons are
sitting at the windows.
2 Who is being led to the gallows? What has he done?
T he p a trio t w ho w a s w o rship pe d a yea r a g o is b eing le d to the ga llo w s to b e
e xe c uted . H e ha s co m m itted som e m isde ed s fo r w hic h he is b e ing led to the
g a llow s.

3 Why do the people try to be at the Shambles Gate or near the scaffold?
What do you mean by Shambles Gate.
The people tried to be at the Shamble's Gate or near the scaffold, so as to get a
better view of the execution. 'Shambles' Gate means a place of execution of a
person.
4 Explain the line: “Just a palsied few at the windows set.”
This line means that only a few people that were afflicted with paralysis, were
at the windows of their houses.
5 The poet here brings out a sharp contrast between the past and the
present of the patriot. How?
The poet does so, by first giving the description of the patriot's life a year ago,
which he represents as though the patriot himself is remembering those days,
as he is being led to the Shamble's Gate.

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 .
Who is the speaker here? Where is he at the present?
The speaker of this extract is the patriot. At present, he has entered the
Shambles' Gates, and now being led to the scaffold, in the rain, with his hands
tied, and stones hitting him, about to be executed.

2 What tells you that he is being treated very harshly?

T he p a trio t is b e ing le d h a rshly to th e ga llo w s. T he ro pe w ith w hic h he is tie d
tig htly b eh ind him . H is fo reh ea d is b le e ding due to the sto ne s b e ing hurled a t
h im b y the crue l p e op le. A ll this sho w s us tha t he is be ing tre a ted ve ry ha rshly.

3 Why have some people hurled stones at him?

Some people hurled stones at him, even though he was about to be executed,
have done so because they are cruel, and hate him for the misdeeds that he
had committed.

4 How had the same people treated him a year ago?

The same people who treated him with honour, happiness, and had a
welcoming nature for him after his grand victory welcomed him with roses and
myrtle. The church towers decorated with victory flags and the sound of church
bells rung in his honour. The crowd surged (came closer/crowded) with joy and
thronged to get a glimpse of his face. They worshipped him as a hero.

5 What do you think of the crowd’s mentality?

T he c row d w a s fic kle -m ind ed a nd e vil. The cro w d w elco m e d the pa trio t a ye a r
a go . The y w o rshipp e d him a s a he ro w he n he ca m e b a ck a fter his g ra nd victo ry.
H is p a th w a s c o ve red w ith fra g ra nt ro ses a nd m yrtle . The c row d w a s m a d in
the ir z ea l a nd enthu sia sm . T he c hurch b ells w e re rung a nd the chu rch sp ire s
w e re d ec ora te d . The c ro w d ha d thro ng ed to g et a g lim p se o f him but no w ha ve
a ssem b led a t the Sha m b le’s G a te o r ne a r the sc a ffo ld to ha v e a be tte r v ie w o f
h is e xe cutio n. The c ro w d ha s pro ve d to be fickle m ind e d.
(i)Explain: “Thus I entered, and thus I go!”
T his line m e a ns tha t th e p a trio t ente red his c ity a m id gre a t re jo icing s a nd
h ono ur. N ow , he is le a v ing it in gre a t hum ilia tio n, insu lt, a nd ha te.

(ii)What would have happened if the patriot had died in excess of joy at his
tumultuous welcome after his grand victory?
T he p a trio t thinks th a t if he ha d d ied in e xc ess o f jo y a t his tum ultuo us
w e lc o m e a fter his g ra nd victo ry, then G o d w o uld no t ha ve c a re d fo r him sinc e
h e w ould h a ve b e en re w a rd e d b y the pe o ple .

(iii)What thought makes him feel ‘safer’?

T he tho ug ht o f the fa c t tha t n ow sin ce the pe o ple ha d no w re w a rde d him w ith
h a te, a nd de a th, in stea d of lo ve a nd ho no ur, G od w ill n ow rew a rd h im a fter his
d e a th .

(iv)“I am safer so.” What irony is involved here?

T he iron y invo lve d he re is the fa ct tha t the p a trio t is g o ing to g et e xe cute d b y
the sa m e p eo p le, fo r w h om he riske d his life fo r the g ra nd v icto ry. H e fe els he
is sa fe r in G o d ’s ha nd bu t a t the sa m e tim e he is go ing fo r his ex ec ution .

(v)Is the patriot’s optimism unrealistic? What do you think about it?
T he p a trio t's o p tim ism is u nrea listic , a s he b eliev es tha t a lthou gh he w ill b e
e xe c uted by the sa m e pe o ple tha t o nc e lov ed him , he w ill find p ea c e , a n d lov e
in the a rm s o f G o d , up o n his d ea th , ig no ring the fa ct tha t he w ill fo re ve r b e
re m e m be red in ha tred b y the p eo p le , fo r his m ista ke , the pe o ple w ill no w forg e t
a ll the sa c rifice s h e m a d e for the m a n d the ha rd w ork he d id for the m , ev en
a fte r he die s .

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