Saturday, November 21, 2015

Please explain the poem "The Vagabond."

Robert Louis Stevenson's (1850-1894)  poem "The Vagabond"
celebrates the glorious freedom and independence of a tramp's
life. All the four stanzas of "The Vagabond"
repeatedly emphasize the unrestrained joys of an independent life in the outdoors free
from all its hassles.


All that
the vagabond is interested in is a life of unlimited travel. He wants to completely
avoid all human associations - "nor a friend to know
me."
All that he wants to do is travel and travel from one
place to another without any restraint whatsoever, not concerned about the weather or
material wealth or possessions or anything else around
him:


"Give the face of earth
around,

And the
road before me.

Wealth I ask not, hope nor
love,

Nor a friend to know
me;

All I ask, the heaven
above

And the road below
me."


He would like to
spend his entire life in the outdoors even in the cold autumn and winter months with the
sky as his roof:


Not to autumn will
I yield,

Not to
winter even!


Most
importantly, he wishes for a completely carefree life and is not bothered or frightened
about death at all:


Let the blow
fall soon or
late,

Let what
will be o'er me

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