Final answer:
Richard Lovelace's poem 'To Althea, from Prison' suggests that physical confinement cannot imprison the soul or mind, especially when one experiences the boundless nature of love.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Richard Lovelace's poem To Althea, from Prison, what does not make a prison or a cage is the freedom of the soul and the mind. The idea Lovelace presents is one of inner liberty that cannot be confined by physical boundaries. In the poem, Lovelace expresses that while his body may be imprisoned, his mind and soul remain free, particularly through the spiritual and emotional bonds of love, which transcend the physical walls of his confinement. This notion aligns with other literary expressions about freedom and confinement, such as Henry David Thoreau's emphasis on self-reliance and moral independence, John Greenleaf Whittier's use of passionate imagery to oppose slavery, and Socrates's allegory of the cave which suggests enlightenment is the path to true freedom.