To Lucasta Going To Wars Analysis

To lose honor or to lose love, which is more important? This question is addressed in “To Lucasta, Going to Wars” by Richard Lovelace. Lovelace was an English poet in the seventeenth century; a cavalier poet who fought on behalf of the king during the Civil War. During war he was captured and held as a prisoner, this is where he created a series of poems dedicated and titled after a woman named Lucasta. He wrote this specific troubled love poem that captured the essence of the entire series for the woman he adored while he was held captive during war. Even though the poem is meant for a women named Lucasta, it is allegedly written for his love Lucy Sacheverel. Richard Lovelace nicknamed her Lucasta by forming the two Latin words “Lux Casta”.

By digging deep inside this poem Richard Lovelace shares a universal truth with us all, whether or not we are facing similar decisions, we have to first think about ourselves and our own needs but also be mindful of those who show us unconditional love. The example given is choosing to go to war and keeping the honor that he has by thinking about what is best for himself, but on top of that he is also thinking about the best for his significant other Lucasta. She is the pure light in his life and always will be, but compromise has to be made for the better of them both in the end. People may get hurt in the end and not fully understand the intentions behind the thoughts of others, but if these intentions are pure and are what is best in their mind then they should carry on. As in the poem, we may interpret one’s intentions and choices as unkind and not try to understand the burden that the person has gone through at first; instead of expanding and analyzing the true thoughts behind a final decision, just as we would want others to do upon us, leading us to possibly coming to terms/respecting the compromises or sacrifices our loved ones have had to