About the Poet
Robert Browning
English poet born Camberwell, 7 May 1812, died London,12 December 1889.
Browning, a bank clerk's son married Elizabeth Barret in 1846 and the couple lived in Italy until her death in 1861. Browning never entirely recovered from the loss of his wife, but returned to England and introduced a new conversational strength to English verse. His dramatic monologues, such as 'My Last Duchess', have psychological subtlety: his verse drama The Ring and the Book (1868-69), uses multiple viewpoints. A Toccata of Gallup closes on a characteristic note of longing: 'Dear dead women with such hair, too--what's become of all the gold / used to hang and brush their bosoms? / I feel chilly and grown old'.
Idea of Poem:
A reading of Robert Browning's poem makes a conscious of the contemporary political scene, its turmoil, and treacheries. What was once infrequent, has become in the Third World, frequent through coups, take-overs, and usurpations. Behind such gory scenes and scenarios is political immaturity, institutional instability, and economic insecurity. As usual, Browning ends not on a tragic, but on a next-world optimistic, note.Browning through this dramatic monologue has captured the mood of disillusionment and frustration of a leader who was considered a hero yesterday, but due to an unfortunate political upheaval, has been branded as a traitor. His tragic downfall is pitiable. And now condemned by the people, he hopefully waits for the judgment of God to redeem him.
Reference:
This is stanza has been taken from the poem “Patriot into Traitor” written by Robert Browning.Context:
This poem is a criticism of politics and people's opinions. When a leader comes into power, people call him a patriot. When he is dethroned, the same leader is considered a traitor. This is the tragedy of modern politics. The leader in this poem fell a victim to the same state of affairs. When he came into power, people showered flowers at him as a patriot. But after a year, they declared him a traitor, when he was no more in power. They took him to the gallows. But Browning has ended his poem not on a tragic, rather on a next world optimistic note.Stanza:
It was roses, roses, all the way,
With myrtle mixed in my path like mad
The House-roofs seemed to heave and sway,
The church-spires flamed, such flags they had,
A year ago on this very day.
Explanation:
In these lines the poet says through the mouth of a political leader, when for the first time, only one year ago, on that very day, he came to power, the people gave him a very warm welcome. There were roses mixed with myrtle flowers which people spread on his way through and through. The house-tops were crowded with people and they were moving and swinging like mad people. Also, they were so happy as if they were mad. The minarets and domes of churches were shining with light. These churches were decorated with colorful flags. All this was on that very day when the politician came into power and it took place only one year ago.
Stanza:
The air broke into a mist with bells,
The old walls rocked with the crowd and cries.
Had I said, 'Good folk, mere noise repels--
But give me your sun from yonder skies?
They had answered: And afterward, what else?
Explanation:
When the people have given him a warm welcome they rang bells and raised slogans. These different voices mingled with one another and produced a sort of music. The air became misty and heavy because of the noisy slogans and the ringing bells. The slogans of the crowd were so heavy and loud that the adjacent walls of the road-side houses trembled with various cries and noise of the crowd. These people were welcoming him so happy that if he had told them that mere noise and slogans did not please him. And that they should give him the sun, that is there in the sky far away from them, they would have replied, that was executed (done and what else they could do for him „the leader?).
Stanza:
Alack, it was I who leaped at the sun
To give it my loving friends to keep
Naught man could do, have I felt undone;
And you see my harvest, what I reap
This very day, now a year is run.
Explanation:
In these lines, the leader regretfully says that the people did not help him, instead, it was he who leaped at the sun and made impossible, possible for them. He brought the sundown and handed it over to his dear friends (countrymen). He made them realize that every impossible could be made possible for sincere friends. As such he made every effort and did not leave anything undone for them. Had he left anything undone, nobody else would have done that for them. But he further says with great sorrow that today when only one year has elapsed and that he is no more in a chair, his reward can be seen. It can also be seen what he is reaping as a reward for his deeds. He has been branded as a traitor by the people of his nation.
Stanza:
There's nobody on the house-tops now-
Just a palsied few at he windows set;
For the best of the sight is, all allow,
At the Shambles Gate--or, better yet,
By the very scaffold's foot, I trow
Explanation:
In these lines, the poet mourns that nobody can be seen on the housetops to welcome him now. It is quite opposite to the scene when he was received by them. Now there are only a few people, who are rather paralyzed and are standing at the windows. Now they are watching a different sight. This site is a sort of ridicule and everybody agrees to it. Obviously, the sight is horrible because the leader is now being taken to the slaughter-house, or it can be better said, the leader thinks, that he is being taken to the gallows to be hanged there. It is all the reward of his good deeds. His deeds have been converted into wicked deeds and people are now punishing him for his supposed misdeeds.
Stanza:
I go in the rain, and more than needs,
A rope cuts both my wrists behind;
And In think, by the feel, my forehand bleeds
For they fling, whoever has a mind,
Stones at me for my year's misdeeds.
Explanation:
In these lines, the poet also mopes over his sad condition. He says that the people are carrying him to the gallows in the rain. They unnecessarily have tied his hands behind his back with a tight rope. When they are taking him to the slaughter-house, the rope cuts both hands at wrists. The culprit (the leader) feels that his forehead is bleeding. This is because everybody in his right sense is throwing stones at him. Everybody feels that he has done nothing for his countrymen. Every person has turned against him and the achievements of his past one year have been changed to misdeeds. This means they have forgotten his service to them and they are now punishing him for his good work for them.
Stanza:
Thus I entered, and thus I go
In triumphs, people have dropped down dead.
'Paid by the world, what dost thou owe
Me?'--God might question; now instead,
'Tis God shall repay: I am safer so.
Explanation:
In the given lines the poet, through the mouth of the deposed leader says that he was brought honorably to the chair and with great pomp and show but now he is being taken very insultingly to the gallows. He says sometimes great heroes fall from their climax and die. Such has not happened to him. Had he died at the peak of his power, he would have been happy. Further, the leader ridiculously says that heroes can not expect a reward from God in the next world because they get their reward in this world. In his case, people have not done him justice. They have killed him. He says after death he will go to his Lord Creator where God Might question him about the deeds he had done for the people. He would reply that he had done his best for them but they rewarded him with shame. Now he will ask God for a reward because God is just and He would give him the best reward in the other world for his service to his people. He would be safe with God in the world hereafter.
Summary
In this dramatic monologue, Robert Browning describes the rise and fall of a political leader. Not only the rise but also the fall is sudden and quick. The poem has special relevance to the political conditions prevailing in the third world countries today.
The poet says that in the early part of the life of a political leader, success appears to be on his side. People loved him and adorned his way with petals of roses mixed with other flowers. They welcomed him from the house-tops with flags and it was only a year ago. The bells rang for him and there were crowds and cries everywhere(even in churches). The leader said that if he uttered to the people that he disliked the mere noises and the sun might be brought also from the sky on earth, the people would say what the next order to comply with. Instead, he himself jumped at the sun to bring it on the earth for the people. He remained unsuccessful because no human being could achieve like that. But he, the leader was not given the reward. He could get nothing except being branded a traitor.
Now a year has elapsed. There is nobody on the house-tops to welcome him. The leader is walking while it is raining. A tight rope is cutting both wrists. His forehead is bleeding. People who greeted him with open arms just a year ago, are now, pelting stones on him and condemning him for his misdeeds.
The fallen leader concludes that his entrance into political life was a success. But his end is by no means praiseworthy. He says that he has paid what he owed to the people. Now, he will be rewarded by God in the life hereafter.
The poet wants to make it clear that in third world countries democracy and democratic traditions are not still deep-rooted. Democratic tolerance is not present. Therefore the political leaders have to meet such circumstances. The poem contains a lesson for the people of third world countries. It is the lesson of steadfastness and tolerance in social as well as political life.
Dramatic irony, political satire exact and realistic expression, and optimistic end have made the poem a remarkable piece of poetic art.
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