The Theme of The Poem The Solitude of Alexander Selkirk By William Cowper

The Theme of The Poem The Solitude of Alexander Selkirk By William Cowper The theme of the poem is man’s craving for society, friendship and love. The poet gives the message that if Selkirk has been able to live a solitary existence in a lonely island , it was only because of hope of divine mercy. Despite his isolation, this marooned seaman genuinely believed that he’d be rescued from his situation by a sudden stroke of good fortune at some point of time in the future. It’s this hope which is keeping Alexander Selkirk alive. Another topic on which the poet seems to be working on is the essential tameness of wild birds and animals. The beasts living in the island do not know what it is to be furious. They are not acquainted with violence because apart from Alexander Selkirk, the abandoned sailor, they had never seen another human being wandering about in that island. In other words, the poet seems to be conveying the message that animals learn to show their wildness only after learning it from man. Those animals which are not familiar with the nature of human beings, are essentially tame. They are so tame that their domestic characteristics are shocking even to Selkirk. Lastly, but most importantly, the poem “ The Solitude of Alexander Selkirk” also focuses on the bliss of community living and companionship. Man cannot live all alone. He needs people around him. He needs love and attention. Material wealth has no meaning for him if he has nobody in his life to share it with. In the island, Selkirk knew that he could claim ownership of the entire land on which he was living because there was no other human being to object to his power. However, despite being the master of all the territory around him, he was not happy. He craved for love and human company. The island was a terrible place for him and he hoped that he would be saved from his circumstances some day. #kwickpoetryknowledge #williamcowper