1. Man of Life Upright
by Thomas Campion

2. Biography
England's Thomas Campion was a 16th and 17th century physician, writer and composer known for his innovative ideas on form.
Born on February 12, 1567, in London, Thomas Campion attended school for law though later worked as a doctor.
He was also a prolific poet/lyricist and songwriter, as seen in works like the Book of Ayeres andLight Conceits of Lovers. Campion offered theories on poetic form that called for less reliance on rhyming and was an innovator in his use of language. He died in England on March 1, 1620.
He never married nor had children; rather, he lived a “life upright.”
"Thomas Campion." Bio. A&E Television Networks, Web. 24 Jan. 2015.

3. The Man of Life Upright Thomas Campion (1567-1620)
He only can behold
Whose guiltless heart is free,
With unaffrighted eyes
From all dishonest deeds
The horrors of the deep
Or thought of vanity.
And terrors of the skies.
The man whose silent days
Thus scorning all the cares
In harmless joys are spent,
That fate or fortune brings,
Whom hopes cannot delude
He makes the heaven his book,
Nor sorrow discontent:
His wisdom heavenly things;
That man needs neither towers
Good thoughts his only friends,
Nor armour for defence,
His wealth a well-spent age,
Nor secret vaults to fly
The earth his sober inn
From thunder’s violence.
And quiet pilgrimage.

4. Content
An upright man is a good, pure man who leads a disciplined life free from sin. He is also confident in God and therefore courageous. He is aware that worldly goods are temporary, so he studies religious books and nature to refine his wisdom and his honesty. Ultimately, he believes that only his good deeds will aide him when he begins his journey into eternity.
As you read consider whether “the upright man” is both perfect and happy.

5. Structure
The poem contains six stanzas, each with four short lines. In each stanza, the second line rhymes with the fourth.
The poem is controlled and organized, much like the life of an “upright man.”
The rhythm is regular and almost all pauses fall at the end of the lines.
The poem’s content is similar to a sermon in that examples of a virtuous life are shared followed by the reward in the after life.

6. Whose guiltless heart is free, From all dishonest deeds
Stanza is one sentence that introduces the topic.
Inverted syntax places emphasis on “upright” to stress the moral righteousness of this “man.”
The man of life upright,
Whose guiltless heart is free,
From all dishonest deeds
Or thought of vanity.
Note that an “upright” man must be free from “all” dishonesty and “all” vanity in order to be guiltless. Is this too perfect?
“Guiltless heart” is also personified to stress the heart as an image of the soul.

7. The man whose silent days In harmless joys are spent,
The “man” who is pure lives in silence and experiences only “harmless joys.” Thus, life for this man is either one of quiet joy or sterile.
The man whose silent days
In harmless joys are spent,
Whom hopes cannot delude
Nor sorrow discontent:
If “hopes cannot delude,” does an upright man have no hope because he spends his life as a humble man or an aesthetic? Also, does he feel no “sorrow” because he’s emotionless or is he self-reliant?
Another way to perceive this is that the noble man does not live beyond his means and is therefore not betrayed by hopes and sorrows.

8. That man needs neither towers Nor armour for defence,
The “towers” and “armour” allude to royalty and power that both create a life of stress and conflict. The military metaphor infers that life is a battle for a dishonest man. Thus, the righteous man has nothing to fear on earth.
That man needs neither towers
Nor armour for defence,
Nor secret vaults to fly
From thunder’s violence.
“Thunder;s violence” morphs into God’s wrath as symbolized by “thunder.” Again, the “upright man” has nothing to fear.
Repetition of “nor” stresses the need to be free from these desires.

9. With unaffrighted eyes The horrors of the deep
Negative diction continues with “horrors” and “terrors.” Just like “thunder’s violence,” the diction highlights the consequences of an impure life.
He only can behold
With unaffrighted eyes
The horrors of the deep
And terrors of the skies.
The “horrors of the deep” serve as an allusion to hell.
The sky’s “terrors” refer to the end of the world, the final rapture when only those who are “upright” will be saved.
The synecdoche (“eyes”) function as a “window to the soul.”

10. Diction changes from negative ideas to ideas of “heaven,” which might encourage a man to change his behavior for a more positive outcome.
An “upright” man can “scorn” the cares of the world as he is invulnerable to troubles.
Thus scorning all the cares That fate or fortune brings, He makes the heaven his book, His wisdom heavenly things;
After the warnings, the sermon begins.
The man who follows the rules of God leads the “upright” man to heaven. Thus, “his book” is an allusion to the Bible, a symbol of purity and goodness.

11. Good thoughts his only friends, His wealth a well-spent age,
The repetition of “his” forces focus on the man’s independence and solidarity.
Good thoughts his only friends,
His wealth a well-spent age,
The earth his sober inn
And quiet pilgrimage.
Note that the previously negative diction continues in a positive vein with the mention of “wealth a well-spent age.”
Stanzas five and six comprise one sentence to highlight the change to positive images.
The lack of verbs accentuates the rhythmic flow of the final stanza thereby altering the syntax.

12. Works Cited
com/2011/12/20/the-man-of- life-upright-by-thomas- campion-summary/
1712/the-man-of-life-upright/
/2014/04/04/the-man-of-life- upright/
notes.blogspot. com/2013/02/the-man-of-life- upright-summary-as- well.html#. VMP0eXDF_2Y