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Andrew MarvellAn Horatian Ode upon Cromwell's Return from Ireland
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1681A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
“Nereus’ Prophecy of Troy” by Horace (13 B.C.E)
Horace’s poetry has taken a number of forms through its translation over the centuries from Latin to English. This 2003 translation of Horace’s ode “Nereus’ Prophecy of Troy” provides a primary example of a Horatian ode. It pairs particularly well with Marvell’s ode due to their shared themes of war, conquest, and predestination.
“Satire III” by John Donne (1633)
John Donne is perhaps the archetypal metaphysical poet. Marvell’s ode shares more in common with traditional and classical forms of poetry than with metaphysical poetry. However, comparing “An Horatian Ode […]” to this satire by Donne highlights Marvell’s more abstract, metaphysical concerns with justice and whether might makes right.
“Sonnet 16: Cromwell, our chief of men, who through a cloud” by John Milton (1673)
John Milton is the most significant English literary figure connected with Cromwell. Milton worked with Marvell in 1657 as Latin secretary in Cromwell’s Council of State, and later went on to become one of the world’s most celebrated poets. This poem, written in 1652, praises Cromwell and encourages him to conquer. Where Marvell’s ode could be interpreted as subversive and sympathetic towards the king, Milton’s sonnet demonstrates clear preference for Cromwell.
“Absalom and Achitophel” by John Dryden (1681)
John Dryden’s “Absalom and Achitophel” reimagines the biblical story of Absalom’s rebellion against King David. Dryden presents the story as an allegory and satire of England’s contemporary political situation and Charles II’s attempts to exclude members of his family from their presumptive thrones. Dryden’s work shares many similarities with Marvell’s earlier “An Horatian Ode […],” including the use of heightened language and romantic narrative structures. Dryden uses these techniques to satirical ends, however, and his political allegiances are much clearer.
“Ode X, An Irish ‘God Save the Queen’” by Aubrey Thomas De Vere (1869)
Marvell’s “Horatian Ode” states that “the Irish are asham’d / To see themselves in one year tame’d” (Lines 73-74). This poem, by Irish poet Aubrey Thomas De Vere, presents a perspective from the Irish royalists that “Fought last for Charles” (Line 29). De Vere’s short depiction of the Irish defending their homeland form Cromwell complicates Marvell’s presentation.
Further Literary Resources
“Thursday 1 November 1660” from The Diary of Samuel Peyps (1893)
Samuel Peyps was an administrator for the Navy of England and later a member of Parliament after Charles II’s restoration to the throne. His diary, written originally in shorthand, was discovered and printed in the late 19th century. Peyps’s account of events remains one of the most significant sources for life during the English Restoration. In this entry, Peyps recounts his memory of attending the execution of Charles I while still a young boy. Peyps recalls his sympathies with Cromwell and the Parliamentarians at the time of the execution.
“The Metaphysical Poets” by T.S. Eliot (1921)
This essay by modernist poet T.S. Eliot originally appeared under the title “Metaphysical Lyrics and Poems of the Seventeenth Century: Donne to Butler.” Eliot’s review, now called “The Metaphysical Poets” in most anthologies, serves as a primer for the modern reception of the metaphysical poets, including Marvell. Eliot connects the metaphysical poets to more contemporary poetic sensibilities and provides readers with tools to better understand their centuries-old work. Eliot coins the phrase “dissociation of sensibility,” which refers to the emotional aesthetic of the metaphysical poets.
“Oliver Cromwell and the English Civil War: Part I” by Neil Jones (2018)
Marvell’s ode draws heavily from the life of Oliver Cromwell. Basic biographic information about the real Oliver Cromwell aids in recognizing where Marvell hyperbolizes Cromwell’s achievements. This article—the first part of a two-part series written by journalist and historian Neil Jones—provides the requisite information about Cromwell and his history with England.
Listen to Poem
The reading of Marvell’s ode provided by the YouTube channel Poems Cafe captures the poem’s air of celebration and hyperbole. The reader emphasizes the subtle contradictions between the poem’s depiction of Charles I and Cromwell without sacrificing the poem’s narrative flow.
