Question

"Sonnet: To Liberty" Sonnet: To Liberty (1796) by Mary Robinson Oh! Liberty! transcendent

and sublime! Born on the mountain's solitary crest; Nature thy nurse, thy fire unconquered
Time, Truth, the pure inmate of thy glowing breast! 5 Oft dost thou wander by the billowy deep,
Scattering the sands that bind the level shore, Or, towering, brave the desolating roar That bids
the tyrant tempest lash the steep! 'Tis thine, when sanguinary demons lour, 10 Amidst the
thickening hosts to force thy way; To quell the minions of oppressive power, And shame the
vaunting nothings of a day! Still shall the human mind thy name adore, Till chaos reigns and
worlds shall be no more!
28 Write an essay that analyzes in detail how the speaker's view of liberty is portrayed in
the poem. Use evidence from the poem to support your response.

Answer 1

The poem above shows freedom as something natural that exists in our world as a force of nature. However, like the forces of nature, freedom can have devastating and violent effects capable of suppressing those who oppose its objectives and purposes.

When freedom shows its strength and its fury, those who need it tend to be frightened and reject its performance. However, when freedom withdraws and its dominance and violence diminishes, the world goes into chaos and threatens its very existence, causing those who have rejected freedom to call for their action again.

Therefore, the poem shows how freedom is powerful, strong, influential and can have violent and devastating effects, but it is necessary and impossible to live without it.