Song at the Feast of Brougham Castle by William Wordsworth (Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis)

 

Song at the Feast of Brougham Castle

by William Wordsworth

(Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis) 

Song at the Feast of Brougham Castle

High in the breathless Hall the Minstrel sate,

And Emont’s murmur mingled with the Song.—

The words of ancient time I thus translate,

A festal strain that hath been silent long:—

 

‘From town to town, from tower to tower,

The Red Rose is a gladsome flower.

Her thirty years of winter past,

The Red Rose is revived at last;

She lifts her head for endless spring,

For everlasting blossoming:

Both roses flourish, Red and White.

In love and sisterly delight

The two that were at strife are blended,

And all old troubles now are ended.—

Joy! Joy to both! but most to her

Who is the flower of Lancaster!

 

Behold a Knight by Shepherds reared,

A Knight who once his flock hath sheared,

In size, in gesture, and in brow,

Proud Nature’s noblest work is he,

And unto him hath Nature given

A voice that seems the voice of Heaven.

Above the meaner herd he towers,

He glitters in a robe of state;

When he speaks, he speaks in power;

Like Nature in her prime and hour,

Majestic as a God is he!

 

What wonder if in noble heart

He bore his sovereign’s mildest part;

What wonder if in tender mood

He sought the haunts of solitude,

Where, when the holy season came,

He kept, with Shepherds, holy-day;

And, duly, from the peaceful vale,

With perfect joy, and favouring gale,

He reached the court, to pay his vow

To Heaven, and Heaven’s anointed now.

 

Much gain of him who walks apart

Must every human heart retain;

And when his inward soul is fain

To lean upon a fellow heart,

The stronger will he prove, the more

He hath been used to stand alone:

Who—whilst his heart beats kindly—still

Keeps all his passions subject to his will.

 

O Clifford! long thy House hath stood,

And long thy House shall stand!—

By thee restored, in thee renewed,

Thy line shall bless the Land.

 

Fair be the Guise that now appears!

A Mansion breathing yesterdays;

An image of ancestral years;

A reverence from posterity;

A record in the heart of Time;

A monument of loftier clime;

A house that like a tree shall grow,

And live and flourish still;

While seasons come, while seasons go,

Till Time itself be still.

 

—The Minstrel ceased; the applause of joy

Ran through the Hall: the Minstrel’s voice

Was lifted in a loftier strain,

And thus he spake again:—

 

“Art thou not near, beloved Vale!

Art thou not near, beloved Stream!

Thy sweet abode, thy holy dream,

Where joy and peace are wont to dwell?

The lowly cottage, and the fane,

The green hills ringing with the strain

Of pastoral music, low and high,

The river’s murmur, soft and nigh,—

The mountain’s heart, the vale’s repose,—

The grandeur that creation shows!

 

Such place to love, such life to see,

It is more than destiny!

And yet, O Clifford! unto thee,

Both these are richly given:—

In thee the twofold stream of life

Mingles, as brothers mix in strife;

In thee the Shepherd and the Knight

Are joined, and blended in delight.

 

And if, when all thy days are done,

A noble race shall still live on,

’Twill be thy pride that they are thine,

And, grateful, bless their ancient line!”

 

Summary

William Wordsworth’s Song at the Feast of Brougham Castle celebrates the restoration of Henry Clifford, known as the “Shepherd Lord,” to his rightful estates and titles after years of obscurity during the Wars of the Roses. The poem is cast as if sung by a minstrel in the great hall of Brougham Castle, with the river Eamont murmuring nearby and mingling with the music. Wordsworth frames it as a revival of an ancient strain, recalling past glories and rejoicing in renewed peace.

The poem begins by recalling the conclusion of the long conflict between the houses of Lancaster and York. The Wars of the Roses had brought strife and division for decades, but now the two roses—the red of Lancaster and the white of York—are united in harmony. The minstrel proclaims joy for both houses, but especially for Lancaster, which has regained its strength and stability through reconciliation.

The focus then turns to Henry Clifford himself. He had been raised away from courtly life, hidden among shepherds for safety, and had grown up in a life of simplicity and seclusion. Wordsworth emphasizes his natural greatness—his stature, bearing, and noble expression mark him as one destined for honor. He possesses a voice so commanding and lofty that it seems divine, setting him above ordinary men. Clifford, though noble by birth, retains the humility and closeness to nature that his upbringing had instilled in him.

The minstrel highlights Clifford’s piety and devotion. Even while living as a shepherd, he honored religious observances, joining in festivals and making pilgrimages to pay vows at holy places. His life among shepherds gave him strength and discipline, teaching him solitude and self-mastery. Because he had learned to live apart, he grew into a man capable of standing firm, controlling his passions, and retaining kindness of heart.

The song then celebrates the Clifford family’s long history. The house of Clifford, though tried by adversity, has endured and now rises again. In Henry Clifford, the family is renewed, and its future is blessed. The poet envisions Brougham Castle itself as a symbol of continuity and heritage—a dwelling that carries memories of ancestral times and will stand as a monument into the future, rooted firmly like a living tree, lasting through the changes of the seasons until time itself comes to an end.

At this point, the minstrel raises his voice again in praise of Clifford’s life and surroundings. He invokes the beloved valley and stream, the quiet cottages, the chapel, the hills alive with music, the murmuring river, and the grandeur of the mountains. Such a life—rich in natural beauty and peace—is described as more than destiny, as if Clifford has been granted a rare and precious blessing.

Finally, the minstrel notes that Clifford embodies a unique harmony. In him the shepherd and the knight are united: simplicity and nobility, pastoral life and chivalric duty, are joined together. This union is both his personal triumph and a gift to posterity. The closing lines look to the future, imagining Clifford’s descendants carrying on his legacy. If they live noble lives, it will be his pride that they owe their lineage to him, and they will bless the ancient family line renewed in his person.

Thus the poem ends in a tone of joy, reverence, and celebration. It recalls a troubled past, honors the restored lord whose life bridges shepherd simplicity and knightly grandeur, and looks forward to a future of stability and blessing for his house.

 

Line-by-line Paraphrase

High in the breathless Hall the Minstrel sate,

 In the great hall, filled with expectant silence, the minstrel sat ready to sing.

 

And Emont’s murmur mingled with the Song.—

 The sound of the nearby river Eamont blended with his music.

 

The words of ancient time I thus translate,

 He begins to recite words from long ago, retelling them in modern speech.

 

A festal strain that hath been silent long:—

 It is a celebratory song that has not been sung for many years.

 

‘From town to town, from tower to tower,

 Across towns and castles, news spreads everywhere—

 

The Red Rose is a gladsome flower.

 The red rose, symbol of Lancaster, is once again a flower of joy.

 

Her thirty years of winter past,

 After thirty years of hardship and decline—

 

The Red Rose is revived at last;

 The house of Lancaster has finally been restored.

 

She lifts her head for endless spring,

 She rises again, ready for lasting prosperity.

 

For everlasting blossoming:

 Her flourishing is expected to continue forever.

 

Both roses flourish, Red and White.

 Now both the red rose (Lancaster) and the white rose (York) thrive together.

 

In love and sisterly delight

 They are united in peace and harmony, like sisters reconciled.

 

The two that were at strife are blended,

 The two houses that fought bitterly are now joined together.

 

And all old troubles now are ended.—

 The past conflicts and sufferings are finally over.

 

Joy! Joy to both! but most to her

 Rejoice for both sides, but especially for Lancaster—

 

Who is the flower of Lancaster!

 For she is the truest flower among them.

 

Behold a Knight by Shepherds reared,

 Look—here is a knight who was raised among shepherds.

 

A Knight who once his flock hath sheared,

 He even tended and sheared sheep himself.

 

In size, in gesture, and in brow,

 His stature, movements, and face—

 

Proud Nature’s noblest work is he,

 Show that he is one of Nature’s finest creations.

 

And unto him hath Nature given

 Nature has also gifted him—

 

A voice that seems the voice of Heaven.

 A voice so commanding it sounds divine.

 

Above the meaner herd he towers,

 He stands tall above ordinary men.

 

He glitters in a robe of state;

 Now he shines in his noble robes of office.

 

When he speaks, he speaks in power;

 When he speaks, it is with great authority.

 

Like Nature in her prime and hour,

 His presence is as majestic as Nature at her fullest strength.

 

Majestic as a God is he!

 He appears almost godlike in his dignity.

 

What wonder if in noble heart

 Is it any surprise that in such a noble heart—

 

He bore his sovereign’s mildest part;

 He was faithful and loyal to his king.

 

What wonder if in tender mood

 Is it strange that in gentleness—

 

He sought the haunts of solitude,

 He loved places of peace and solitude—

 

Where, when the holy season came,

 Where, during times of religious observance—

 

He kept, with Shepherds, holy-day;

 He joined the shepherds in celebrating holy festivals.

 

And, duly, from the peaceful vale,

 And faithfully, from the quiet valley—

 

With perfect joy, and favouring gale,

 He travelled happily, with favorable winds—

 

He reached the court, to pay his vow

 To reach the king’s court and fulfill his duty.

 

To Heaven, and Heaven’s anointed now.

 Offering his loyalty both to God and to God’s chosen sovereign.

 

Much gain of him who walks apart

 Much is learned by the man who lives in solitude.

 

Must every human heart retain;

 Every human heart holds onto such lessons.

 

And when his inward soul is fain

 And when such a man wishes—

 

To lean upon a fellow heart,

 To share his feelings with another—

 

The stronger will he prove, the more

 He will prove himself stronger—

 

He hath been used to stand alone:

 Because he is accustomed to standing alone.

 

Who—whilst his heart beats kindly—still

 He who remains kind in heart—

 

Keeps all his passions subject to his will.

 Yet keeps all his emotions under control.

 

O Clifford! long thy House hath stood,

 O Clifford, your family has stood strong for many years.

 

And long thy House shall stand!—

 And it will continue to endure into the future.

 

By thee restored, in thee renewed,

 Through you, your family is restored and renewed.

 

Thy line shall bless the Land.

 Your descendants will be a blessing to the land.

 

Fair be the Guise that now appears!

 Beautiful is the scene now revealed!

 

A Mansion breathing yesterdays;

 The castle itself seems to carry the breath of history.

 

An image of ancestral years;

 It reflects the memory of generations past.

 

A reverence from posterity;

 It commands respect from future generations.

 

A record in the heart of Time;

 It stands as a lasting record in time itself.

 

A monument of loftier clime;

 It is a monument belonging to a higher, nobler world.

 

A house that like a tree shall grow,

 This family and castle will grow like a strong tree—

 

And live and flourish still;

 They will continue to live and flourish.

 

While seasons come, while seasons go,

 Through all the changing seasons—

 

Till Time itself be still.

 Until time itself comes to an end.

 

—The Minstrel ceased; the applause of joy

 The minstrel paused, and joyful applause filled the hall.

 

Ran through the Hall: the Minstrel’s voice

 The hall resounded with clapping, and then the minstrel’s voice—

 

Was lifted in a loftier strain,

 Rose again in an even nobler song.

 

And thus he spake again:—

 And he began to sing once more.

 

“Art thou not near, beloved Vale!

 Are you not close by, beloved valley?

 

Art thou not near, beloved Stream!

 And you too, beloved river?

 

Thy sweet abode, thy holy dream,

 Your peaceful dwelling and sacred charm—

 

Where joy and peace are wont to dwell?

 Where joy and peace always live?

 

The lowly cottage, and the fane,

 The humble cottage and the chapel—

 

The green hills ringing with the strain

 The green hills echoing with music—

 

Of pastoral music, low and high,

 The songs of shepherds, soft and loud—

 

The river’s murmur, soft and nigh,—

 The gentle murmur of the nearby river—

 

The mountain’s heart, the vale’s repose,—

 The strength of the mountains and the calm of the valley—

 

The grandeur that creation shows!

 The magnificence of all creation!

 

Such place to love, such life to see,

 To love such a place and to live such a life—

 

It is more than destiny!

 It feels like a blessing greater than fate.

 

And yet, O Clifford! unto thee,

 And yet, O Clifford, to you—

 

Both these are richly given:—

 Both these blessings have been richly granted.

 

In thee the twofold stream of life

 In you, two ways of life flow together—

 

Mingles, as brothers mix in strife;

 They meet and mingle like brothers who, though they may quarrel, are bound together.

 

In thee the Shepherd and the Knight

 In you, the shepherd and the knight are united—

 

Are joined, and blended in delight.

 Joined together in perfect harmony.

 

And if, when all thy days are done,

 And if, when your life is over—

 

A noble race shall still live on,

 Your noble family line continues—

 

’Twill be thy pride that they are thine,

 Your pride will be that they came from you.

 

And, grateful, bless their ancient line!”

 And they will be grateful, blessing their ancient heritage.

 

Analysis in Detail

William Wordsworth’s Song at the Feast of Brougham Castle, Upon the Restoration of Lord Clifford, the Shepherd, to the Estates and Honors of His Ancestors is one of his most historical and celebratory poems. Written in 1807, it combines the poet’s love of history with his central theme of nature’s shaping power over human character. Through the story of Henry Clifford, the “Shepherd Lord,” Wordsworth explores ideas of reconciliation, nobility, and the sustaining force of simplicity in a turbulent age.

The poem is set in the great hall of Brougham Castle, where a minstrel sings at a feast commemorating the restoration of Clifford’s titles and lands after the Wars of the Roses. This opening frame immediately places the poem in a medieval atmosphere, linking it to the tradition of bardic song and historical celebration. Yet Wordsworth’s voice is not purely historical; he adopts the minstrel’s tone but fills it with Romantic sensibility, emphasizing both history and human feeling.

One of the central themes of the poem is reconciliation. The minstrel begins by recalling the bitter division between the Red Rose of Lancaster and the White Rose of York. For three decades, England had been torn by civil war, but now the two roses are united “in love and sisterly delight.” The joy expressed here is not simply political; it is a deeper celebration of peace after strife, harmony after discord. Wordsworth treats the union as almost natural, like two flowers flourishing side by side. This image sets the tone for the whole poem, in which conflict gives way to harmony, both in the nation and in the life of Clifford himself.

Henry Clifford’s story lies at the heart of the poem. Born to noble heritage, he was forced into hiding as a child and raised among shepherds to protect him from the dangers of civil war. Wordsworth presents this as a paradoxical blessing. Although Clifford lost his rightful place for many years, he gained something more profound: a character formed by nature, solitude, and simple living. The minstrel describes him in glowing terms—his stature, expression, and voice mark him as destined for greatness. He is not only noble by blood but also noble in the sense that he embodies strength, dignity, and self-control. His voice is said to sound like “the voice of Heaven,” a striking image of authority tempered with natural purity.

Wordsworth emphasizes the moral and spiritual benefits of Clifford’s pastoral upbringing. Having lived in solitude, he learned self-mastery; having dwelt among shepherds, he knew simplicity and humility. He joined them in their religious festivals, linking his life to the rhythm of faith and nature. Wordsworth suggests that solitude and rural life can shape a man more deeply than courts or battles. The Shepherd Lord becomes a living example of Wordsworth’s Romantic conviction that nature is the great teacher of humanity.

The poem then broadens its focus to the Clifford family line and the castle itself. Wordsworth treats Brougham Castle as both a physical structure and a symbol of continuity. He imagines it as a “house that like a tree shall grow,” firmly rooted in the past yet living into the future. This image of organic growth echoes Wordsworth’s recurring belief in the natural, living continuity of history. Families, like trees, endure through seasons of hardship and renewal. In Clifford’s restoration, the Clifford line has been renewed, and the castle stands as a monument of resilience.

After the first portion of the song, the minstrel raises his voice again, turning to praise Clifford’s surrounding landscape. Here Wordsworth’s characteristic celebration of nature is most evident. The beloved vale, the murmuring stream, the cottages, chapels, hills, and rivers are all evoked as if they form a living environment of peace and grandeur. This setting is not merely decorative; it shapes the life of Clifford himself. His greatness arises not only from his heritage but also from his immersion in such a landscape. The harmony of valley, river, and mountain mirrors the harmony in Clifford’s character.

The closing lines emphasize the union within Clifford himself. In him, the shepherd and the knight are joined together. This union embodies reconciliation on a personal level, just as the red and white roses represent reconciliation on a national level. Clifford is both a man of simple pastoral life and a man of noble lineage and duty. Wordsworth presents this as a rare and precious combination: humility joined with honor, simplicity joined with grandeur. The hope expressed at the end is that Clifford’s descendants will continue in his spirit, blessing their noble line by remembering both the shepherd’s simplicity and the knight’s nobility.

Thus, the poem operates on three interconnected levels: the national, the personal, and the natural. Nationally, it celebrates peace after the Wars of the Roses. Personally, it praises Henry Clifford’s character, formed through simplicity and solitude. Naturally, it upholds the power of landscape and rural life in shaping human virtue. All three levels intertwine in Wordsworth’s vision, producing not only a song of historical triumph but also a meditation on the enduring values of peace, nature, and integrity.