Richard Lovelace's 'Song: To Lucasta, Going To Wars'

Gender View of War
Comparing Richard Lovelace’s poem “Song: To Lucasta, Going to Wars” and Judith Ortiz Cofer’s poem “The Changeling” is almost like comparing apples to oranges because the poems are written by poets from different eras, countries, and genders. Lovelace’s poem is written from a young 1640’s Englishman’s point of view whereas Cofer’s poem is from a young 1990’s Puerto Rican girl’s perspective. Although the poets are from two different cultures there are still congruent conceptions of a soldier during a time of war. Throughout the ages men and women have held soldiers in high regard, although perchance for different reasons. In both poems, the references to war are romanticized and reflect the soldier as an adventurer and the
Neither poem shies away from the perspective that being a soldier in battle is being heroic; a tribute to the male pride, since only men were allowed to fight. In both poems, being a soldier is portrayed as an honor; an immersion into the custom that males are to be brave, protectors of liberty. “Song: To Lucasta, Going to Wars” alludes to there being something captivating about being a soldier during the time of war and battle. Lovelace treats the idea of going to war as a glorious honor. In “The Changeling” the young girl is immersed in the portrayal of the machismo of the soldier, Che; alluding to the idea of being in battle as
Socialization of males and females has been different over the years. Males have been raised to be more aggressive, assertive, take risks and show fewer emotions than females. The male role in “Song: To Lucasta, Going to the Wars” is the gallant young man going off to war and in “The Changeling” the young girl dons her brother’s clothes to portray the soldier Che. In The Changeling”, Cofer states she dresses in her brother’s clothes and portrays the soldier Che in order to gain her father’s attention, “He would listen with a smile to my tales of battles and brotherhood…” (18-19) Is she glorifying the military because of her father’s service and is a young girl idolizing her father or is she acknowledging the female’s lesser place? Is this poem an implication that she feels as a female her status is less than a male’s? Only the poet can say for sure what she was trying to