The
Man of Life Upright
Introduction
Thomas Campion was a prominent
scholar, poet and musician of his time. Man of Life Upright is simple in
expression but it contains depth of thought and feeling. The poem present the
concept of an ideal personality, leading a highly disciplined and controlled
life. He is master of himself.
Summary
The pure and innocent heart of an
upright man is free from evil ideas and intentions. He passes his life in
simple happiness. He has perfect control over his wishes and emotions. As a
result, worldly loss and problems fail to disturb him.
He is confident and brave. He does
not count on power or material resources. In a battle he depends upon God and
seeks help from him. He does not have strong forts, weapons of war or secret
cellars for his safety.
This man faces the natural calamities
such as stormy winds, heavy rains and tempest calmly and courageously. His
faith in God remains firm and unshaken.
“Faith is the force of Life.”
- Tolstoy
The poet says that this main shows
complete indifference to the happy and unhappy events of Life. He is aware of
that all wordly things and events are temporary and worthless. He seeks
knowledge from the heavenly books and study of the objects of Nature adds to
his wisdom and refines his intellect.
Campion says that the main of upright
life considers the world a place for brief stay. It no more than an inn,
without any glamour or charm. He believes that his good deeds are his only
assets and earning. When called upon by God, he will have to embark on the
journey to the next and eternal world.
“It matters not how long we live, but how we live.”
- Bailey
Reference to
the Context
Reference
The lines given for explanation are
an extract from the poem entitled The Man of Life Upright, written by Thomas
Campion.
About the poet
Thomas Campion was a poet who led
English poetry and music to supreme heights. He used the normal forms of
simultaneous verses with spectacular skill and modesty. The most admirable
pieces of his poetry are those sonnets, which he set to his own music.
About the Poem
The Man of Life Upright is a sermonic
piece of writing that sheds lights on the prominent visages of the character of
a person who leads a life of honour, nobility and righteousness. He possesses a
pure heart clear from sinful thoughts and wicked ideas. He never deviates from
the path of honesty and never falls prey to the false pride. He is
self-sufficient and does not fall into the trap of deceptive hopes. He is
courageous and confident enough to encounter all the miseries.
Lines
The man of life upright ——— Or thought of vanity
Explanation
In this stanza the poet says that an
upright man leads an honourable and honest life. His mind is free from evil
thoughts and his heart is free from ill-feelings and false hopes. He is an
humble person and has no thought of vanity. He has peace of mind and peace of
heart. He is not a discontented person because
“Discontent is the want of self-reliance; it is infirmity of will.”
– Emerson
– Emerson
An upright man never lacks in
self-reliance. Therefore, he leads a happy and contented life. His life is
simple because he is not an ambitious person. That is why he leads a pious life
and never thinks of committing crimes and sins.
In other words the poet wants to convince us that honesty is the best policy and if we want to lead a pleasant and contented life, we must not deviate from the path of honesty. No doubt honesty gives us real and spiritual pleasure.
In other words the poet wants to convince us that honesty is the best policy and if we want to lead a pleasant and contented life, we must not deviate from the path of honesty. No doubt honesty gives us real and spiritual pleasure.
Lines
The man whose silent days ——— Nor sorrow discontent:
Explanation
An honest man leads a peaceful and
contented life and does not harm anyone. He is not an ambitious person.
Therefore, he does not cherish false hopes and that is why false hopes can’t
deceive him. As he has got no high expectation in life, so sorrow and grief
cannot discontent or dishearten him. He does not give pain to others; he does
not torture and agonize others. He remains happy because of the fact that he
leads a life free from dishonest deeds and free from sins.
In other words, the poet wants to
convince us that we must not cherish false hopes and must not torture others if
we want to spend a peaceful, contented and care-free life.
Lines
The man needs neither towers——–From thunder’s violence
Explanation
An upright man leads a pious life.
So, he is not afraid of anyone. Honesty makes a person bold and courageous.
That is why he neither needs any fortress or any armour to defend him. He does
not feel the need of secret vaults to protect himself from any kind of danger.
Thus an honest man leads a carefree and peaceful life.
In other words, the poet wants to say
that if we follow the path of honesty, we need not to be afraid of any one
because of honesty is the best weapon which can provide us protection against
all kinds of evils.
Lines
He only can behold ————– And terrors of skies
Explanation
In these lines, the poet says that
only an upright man can face the difficulties and hardships of life, boldly and
courageously. It is rightly said:
“An honest man possesses a stout heart.”
He is not afraid of anyone and is
prepared to face all kinds of dangers. He can face the horrors and terrors of
the skies fearlessly because of the fact that such a person is not afraid of
death. Fear of death makes a person coward and he cannot face any one and he
cannot tackle any difficult situation with confidence.
In this thought-provoking stanza the
poet wants to say that honesty makes a person brave and bold. He has peace of
mind and peace of heart. Therefore, he can deliberate and plan to tackle any
difficult situation. He does not tremble and shiver in the face of hardships
and clematis. No doubt honesty gives spiritual confidence and strength to an
honest and upright man. So, for the attainment of spiritual confidence and
strength it is imperative that we must follow the path of honesty.
Lines
Thus, scorning all the cares —————– His wisdom heavenly things,
Explanation
An honest man is spiritually happy.
So, he hates all those cares and worries which the fate or fortune brings.
Difficulties and hardships there in the life of an honest man but he does not
care as he believes that these difficulties and hardships will come to an end
with the passage of time. He bears the troubles and misfortunes patiently. He
looks upon the heaven for guidance help. He makes the heaven his book and
learns the lesson of wisdom from heavenly things. Thus an honest man spend his
time in useful activities.
In other words the poet wants to
convince us that only an hones man can adopt a positive and optimistic attitude
towards life. As he possesses spiritual confidence and strength. He knows that
cares and worries are the parts of life and one must not be disappointed and
disheartened by them. Beyond any shadow of doubt the life of an honest man is
enviable and we must Endeavour to lead an honest life.
Lines
Good thoughts his only friends ——– And quite pilgrimage.
Explanation
An honest man looks upon the world as
an inn where he has come into the world for a brief sojourn and to spend a life
free from sins. His pious and sinless life is his wealth. He strongly believes
that he has come into this world for the adoration of God Almighty and to lead
a sinless life. He believes that this world is a Vanity Fair. Therefore, he is
never deceived by the glamour of the world and he never deviates from the path
of honesty, integrity, and righteousness.
In this stanza the poet stresses
moral values and has drawn the attention of the people to the realities of the
world. By the describing the qualities of an honest man he wants to convince
the people that honesty is the best policy and those who are honest and upright
have peace of mind and peace of heart. There is no vacuum in the life an honest
man. He has spiritual pleasure, which is the asset of life.
nice notes
ReplyDeletenice notes
ReplyDeletePerfect expalanations, to the point. This type of explanations are very helpful to the teachers and students in understanding the concept of the poem.
ReplyDelete