A Country Life By Katherine Philips

 
A COUNTRY LIFE

How sacred and how innocent
    A country life appears;
How free from tumult, discontent,                                   

 From flattery or fears!

This was the first and happiest life,
    When man enjoy'd himself;
Till pride exchangëd peace for strife,
    And happiness for pelf.

'Twas here the poets were inspired,
    Here taught the multitude;
The brave they here with honour fir'd,
    And civilised the rude.

The golden age did entertain
    No passion but of love;
The thoughts of ruling and of gain
    Did ne'er their fancies move.

None then did envy neighbour's wealth
    Nor plot to wrong his bed;
Happy in friendship and in health,
    On roots, not beasts, they fed.

They knew no law nor physic then,
    Nature was all their wit:
And if there yet remain to men
    Content, sure this is it.

What blessings doth this world afford
    To tempt or bribe desire!
Her courtship is all fire and sword,
    Who would not then retire?

Then welcome dearest solitude,
    My great felicity;
Though some are pleas'd to call thee rude,
    Thou art not so, but we.

Them that do covet only rest,
    A cottage will suffice:
It is not brave to be possest
    Of earth, but to despise.

Opinion is the rate of things,
    From hence our peace doth flow;
I have a better fate than kings,
    Because I think it so.

When all the stormy world doth roar,
    How unconcern'd am I!
I can not fear to tumble lower,
    Who never could be high.

Secure in these unenvy'd walls,                                                      

 I think not on the state,
And pity no man's case that falls
    From his ambitious height.

Silence and innocence are safe;
    A heart that's nobly true
At all these little arts can laugh
    That do the world subdue.

While others revel it in state,
    Here I'll contented sit,
And think I have as good a fate
    As wealth and pomp admit.

Let some in courtship take delight,
    And to th' Exchange resort;
Then revel out a winter's night,
    Not making love, but sport.

These never knew a noble flame,
    'Tis lust, scorn or design:
While vanity plays all their game,
    Let peace and honour mine.

When the inviting spring appears,
    To Hyde Park let them go,                                                                            
And hasting thence be full of fears
    To lose Spring-Garden show.

Let others (nobler) seek to gain
    In knowledge happy fate,
And others busy them in vain
    To study ways of state.

But I resolvëd from within,
    Confirmëd from without,
In privacy intend to spin
    My future minutes out.

And from this hermitage of mine,                                      
 I banish all wild toys,
And nothing that is not divine
    Shall dare to tempt my joys.

There are below but two things good,
    Friendship and Honesty;
And only those of all I would
    Ask for felicity.

In this retir'd and humble seat,
    Free from both war and strife,
I am not forc'd to make retreat,
    But choose to spend my life.



Commentary:
I chose to read this poem because the title intrigued me and I wanted to continue reading the poem. The title, " a country life," reminded me of a summer that I spent in the country in Mexico. The country life is very calm and tranquil. I decided to read this poem because it would remind me of the times I spent with my grandparents in Mexico as a young girl.
After I finished reading the poem, I thought that it was very calming. The tone of the poem was tranquil. The tone helped to establish the feeling that the country makes one feel. It also helped us picture the country and to feel more connected with the idea that the author, Katherine Philips transmitted in this poem.
I understood the poem from beginning to end. The first stanza talks about the tranquility of the country. The country life is a happy place and does not invoke fear.
The second stanza says that a man enjoys himself in that place and lives happily. His soul has peace.
The third stanza states that the view of the country life inspired many poets, like it inspired Katherine Philips to write this poem.
The next stanza says that the country life was a golden age. The author says that the country life entertained feelings of love. When one looks at the country sight, one feels calm and relaxed. That is the feeling that love projects.
The next stanza says that in the country, there are no bad thoughts of stealing money or envy about other people's possessions. No one thinks about being unfaithful or being with another person one is not married to.
The next stanza says that in those times, there were no rules or police needed to enforce the law because everyone knew what was right and what was wrong.
The next stanza says that this place was a true blessing, which in fact it was because who would not want to live in peace and without any disturbance?
The next stanza says that the country causes great happiness to the speaker.
The next stanza says  that for the people that live in the country, they only need a simple house to live in. They do not need a castle to live in or anything fancy.
The next stanza says that the speaker lives better than  king. He says that his fate is better than of a king's.
The next stanza says that the speaker is not concerned with what happens outside of his world. He only cares about the country.
The next stanza says to not worry about the rich, even if they fall from the cloud on which they are on.
The next stanza says that the people of the country conform with being silent. They do not need an extravagant life full of parties and laughter.
The next stanza says that the same thing that she said in stanza ten. She says her fate is better than the wealthy.

The poem goes on talking about the country life and all its virtues and advantages. The speaker loves the country life and would not leave it, not even for a mansion and good lifestyle.