The Vagabond

Robert Louis Stevenson

‘The Vagabond’ by Robert Louis
Stevenson is a poem about one
speaker’s desire to live a life close to
nature and far from the rules of
contemporary society.
Summary
‘The Vagabond’ by Robert Louis Stevenson is a thoughtful poem
about living a simple, free life.
The poem starts with the speaker asking someone, likely God, to
allow him to live a life that he loves. He wants to be free and walk
on the solid road, with the sky above him. He’s uninterested in the
things that inspire most men and women, such as wealth or love.
He just wants to see the world around him and be undeterred by
rules, weather, or any other restriction on his movements.
 In the poem’s first stanza, the speaker begins by asking that they be given the
“life” they love. They are seeking out a life filled with joy, their particular joy.
He asks that the “lave” or stream goes by him and that he be given the ability to
traverse the world as he pleases. His description of a bed furthers this in the
bush and “stars to see.” He wants to live as a vagabond, as the title suggests.
He’ll be attached to nowhere and always on the move.

He notes that this is the “life for a man like me.” It’s the kind of life that he’d
like to live forever. Surrounding himself with the nature that makes him happy
is his goal.
 In the next lines, the speaker adds that he doesn’t mind whether the “blow,”
or death, falls sooner or later. Besides what he’s already asked for, he
doesn’t care what is going to happen to him. He’s not looking for wealth or
anything specific. He’s seeing not “hope” or “love.” These are the common
experiences that most people are looking for in their everyday life and as the
goal of their actions.

 He also dismisses the idea that he’d like a friend to know him. He’s happy
to travel the world and experience it alone. He’s only interested in the earth
beneath his feet and the “heaven above.” He’s seeking out a very simplistic
existence, one that is not going to appeal to all readers.
 In the third stanza, the speaker presents the intended listener of the
poem, likely God, with another option. Similar to what he asked before,
he hopes that autumn is going to fall on him when he is “afield.”

 He speaks these lines with confidence. Even when he alludes to winter

through the line “Biting the blue finger.” He knows that winter is a
cause for concern for someone living outside or constantly traveling,
but he also says that he’s not going to yield to it. He’s willing to face it
if he means he can continue living the life he loves.
 In the final stanza of the poem, the speaker repeats the line that began the
second stanza. This is known as a refrain. He asks again that the “blow” or
death falls when it needs to and asks that everyone be as it will be.

 ll he needs is the road before him and the “face of earth around.” This is
one of several examples of personification that readers can find throughout
this poem.
 He also repeats the line about hope and love, although not word for word.
In the final line, he says once more that he wants the “road below him.”
He’ll travel happy that way, without the pressures of wealth, friendship,
hope for change, or love. He’ll only depend on himself.
 What is the meaning of ‘The Vagabond?’The meaning is that the best
kind of life is one lived free without complications or responsibility. He
wants to walk free with only the heavens above him and the road below
him. Whether or not this is truly a possibility is only briefly addressed
when he speaks about winter. The poem does not touch on the difficulty
of survival, access to needed money, and more.
 What is the message of ‘The Vagabond?’The message is that it is a good
thing to live outside the norms of society. He wants a free life, one that he
speaks about with passion and love throughout. The poem is likely meant
to make readers think about what living this way would be like and the
pros of this kind of freedom.
 What is the main idea of ‘The Vagabond?’The main idea is that
freedom in nature is worth more than love, money, hope, or friends.
The speaker values it above all else. He repeats this multiple times
throughout the poem, ensuring that readers are well aware of where
he stands.
 Who is the speaker in ‘The Vagabond?’The speaker is unknown.
Stevenson might have been conveying his own passion for a simple
life, or he could’ve been channeling a persona, a fictional speaker
who feels what is presented in the poem.