ICSE: The Patriot ~ Summary and Theme

Summary

The patriot is a dramatic monologue written by the renowned English poet and playwright Robert Browning. As the poem begins, the speaker recalls his memories of this very day just one year ago. Even he says that he was welcomed victoriously by his countrymen. The citizens of his country decorated the path with roses and myrtles to welcome him. In fact, they crowded on the roofs of the houses to see the speaker for once. And also the churches sway their flags to welcome the patriot.

The speaker continues that even that day the air was filled with cheerful sounds of bells. Moreover, he describes that thousands of people crowded against the old walls of the houses. They even cheered and cried out for their hero that is, the speaker. So, the Patriot remembers that he had even promised to bring the sun for them. Here, the poet metaphorically uses the sun to denote that the speaker was even ready to do any impossible deed for his countrymen.

Later, the speaker admits that he was fool enough to try to achieve beyond his limit. In fact, the praises of the countrymen made him too confident to become over-ambitious.
Now the speaker shows the difference in the attitude of the countrymen towards him after a year. He tells that now there is no one on the roofs of the houses along the road to welcome him. However, he can see a few people sitting beside the windows of the houses, they are actually diseased and weak. So, they are not there for the speaker. Rather, the speaker even ironically says now all the people have gathered near the Shambles’ Gate. Actually, the speaker is being taken to the Shambles’ Gate for executing him. So, all the citizens, who once welcomed him as a patriot, now wait by the scaffold the see the speaker’s execution.

In addition to this, the speaker describes his present pathetic plight. He says people are dragging him vigorously. Even both his wrists are bleeding due to the rope that ties them. Also, he feels that someone from the crowd throws a stone towards him and his forehead starts bleeding. He regrets that a year’s misdeed has erased all the memories of his good deeds from the minds of the common people.

So, in the concluding stanza, he tries to gather some hope in such a painful state. He says that he has played his role and so, now he has to leave.
Even, on the verge of his death, he consoles his soul that he may get his reward in heaven. Though his countrymen have failed to pay the required respect to him, he hopes to get it in God’s company.
So, to conclude, though this poem shows the uncertainty of one’s life and fortune, it ends on an optimistic note.

           Theme of the Patriot

The patriot is majorly based on the theme of fickle-mindedness and optimism. The narrator, the patriot is welcomed with feverish joy and parts of roses in the first two stanzas by the townspeople. But by the end of the poem, we see that those same people have humiliated and executed him within a year. This shows that glory and fortune do not lost forever people are fickle-minded and change their opinions without a second thought. Someone who is in love today may easily be hated tomorrow.

The poem has undertones of religiosity. The first stanza itself mentions flags fluttering on the church spires also the patriot is welcomed with ringing bells; The final stanza has the patriot being optimistic about death as he believes that god does justice to one and all and he will recognize that the patriot has done nothing immoral. This faith in God and the believe that he will be safe in God's abode shows that a patriot is a religious man. Also, there is a biblical reference when the poet mentions the reaping of the harvest.