Overall, the poem is a proclamation of independence, which some may view as rebellious. Because of his devotion to the King, the speaker is imprisoned and separated from the lady he loves. He, on the other hand, does not consider this a circumstance to be grieved or regretted. Rather, he sees it as a challenge that will only make him an immortal poet. In the beginning of the poem, the speaker mentions the lady's many virtues. He then goes on to say that even if he were free to marry, he wouldn't want anyone else but her. This shows that the poet has chosen not to marry again because of his love for Althea. Instead, he wants to keep this love alive by expressing it through poetry. Finally, near the end of the poem, the speaker declares that he will never die. This means that he is confident about reaching old age because death cannot stop the mind from thinking or the words from flowing out of the mouth. All it can do is prevent bodies from being used anymore which, in turn, would cause someone to grow sick and eventually die. Thus, the speaker believes that he will outlive everyone including the king himself. This shows that he is not afraid of death because he knows that it cannot harm him since he has eternal life already.