"To Lucasta, Going to the Wars" by Richard Lovelace

"Tell me not, Sweet, I am unkind,
That from the nunnery
Of thy chaste breast and quiet mind
To wars and arms I fly. -
True, a new mistress now I chase,
The first foe in the field;
And with a stronger faith embrace
A sword, a horse, a shield. -
Yet this inconstancy is such
As you too shalt adore;
I could not love thee, Dear, so much,
Loved I not Honour more."

I like this poem. Obviously there's an a, b, a, b etc. rhyme scheme which is always really nice and fun to read. The wording in this poem is great when he's talking about his equipment and how important it is. He seems more concerned about making sure it is seen that he's going away for honor/glory than resolving his love with his partner. I love the figurative speech in the poem when he says he's chasing a new mistress. It's not a mistress he's really chasing, but he still is going towards something else he has strong feelings for so the relationship is easy to make. This "mistress" he's going to is war (or honor). He's going to war and he is doing so for basically no other reason than his honor and his pride, etc. In the poem he writes that she should like him leaving for war as he does. Call it conceited or self-absorbed, it's typical of a man who's more interested in pride/honor than love to think everybody respects his decision to fight and kill or die for his hometown. Take one for the team! Actually the "mistress" he's chasing is the first foe in the field. My bad. But it's still the same idea. That wording is just even cooler. The thing he wants most is to meet the enemy to do what he does. DO WORK, son! The tone is very proud and glamorous. The soon-to-be warrior is very full of himself and sure of everything he does or thinks. But that's cool because he's hunting down the first enemy in the field, DO WORK!