Author: Arthur Hugh Clough

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    Ye flags of Piccadilly,
    Where I posted up and down,
    And wished myself so often
    Well away from you and town.

    Are the people walking quietly
    And steady on their feet,
    Cabs and omnibuses plying
    Just as usual in the street?

    Do the houses look as upright
    As of old they used to be,
    And does nothing seem affected
    By the pitching of the sea?

    Through the Green Park iron railings
    Do the quick pedestrians pass?
    Are the little children playing
    Round the plane-tree in the grass?

    This squally wild northwester
    With which our vessel fights,
    Does it merely serve with you to
    Carry up some paper kites?

    Ye flags of Piccadilly,
    Which I hated so, I vow
    I could wish with all my heart
    You were underneath me now!

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Type of Poem: Lyric Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: Arthur Hugh Clough's poem, often referred to as "Ye Flags of Piccadilly," presents a juxtaposition of urban life in London against the turbulent, uncertain experience of life at sea. Clough uses this contrast to reflect on feelings of nostalgia, dislocation, and perhaps the irony of human dissatisfaction with one’s present circumstances.

Structure and Form
The poem is written in a regular quatrain form, with four-line stanzas and an alternating rhyme scheme (ABCB). This regularity mirrors the steady, familiar rhythm of city life that contrasts with the chaotic unpredictability of the sea voyage. The language is conversational, creating an intimate and personal tone, as if the speaker is directly addressing the city and its “flags.”

Themes
Nostalgia and Irony: The speaker reflects on Piccadilly, an iconic London street, and recalls his earlier disdain for it (“Which I hated so”). Yet, despite his former aversion, the current discomfort of being at sea has caused him to long for its familiarity. This tension between the speaker’s past feelings and his present longing suggests a theme of nostalgic irony: the familiar becomes desirable when one is far from it.

The final stanza underscores this with the line, “I could wish with all my heart / You were underneath me now!”—a striking reversal of his earlier wish to escape the city.

Contrast Between Urban Stability and the Uncertainty of the Sea: The poem contrasts the perceived stability of London life with the unpredictable nature of the sea. The speaker questions whether life in London continues as it always has, unaffected by the turmoil he faces on his sea voyage. Phrases like “Are the people walking quietly / And steady on their feet” and “Does nothing seem affected / By the pitching of the sea?” emphasize this contrast.

Clough uses the imagery of city streets, houses, and pedestrians to evoke stability and order. In contrast, the sea is characterized by chaos and disorientation, as indicated by the “squally wild northwester” against which the ship fights. The speaker yearns for the steadiness of the city amidst the sea’s unpredictability.

Distance and Disconnection: There is a sense of disconnection running throughout the poem. The speaker, far away at sea, imagines life in Piccadilly continuing without him. His questions—about the people walking, the children playing, and the houses standing upright—suggest his separation not only from the physical space of the city but also from the experiences of those who remain. The distance creates a sense of longing for the mundane aspects of life that he once took for granted.

The Universality of Human Dissatisfaction: This poem touches on the human tendency to feel dissatisfied with one’s current circumstances, only to later romanticize them in hindsight. The speaker once wished to escape Piccadilly and now, confronted with the harshness of the sea, yearns for the city’s stability. This dynamic reveals a universal theme of longing for what is no longer attainable, even when it was once despised.

Imagery
Clough’s use of imagery is effective in contrasting the urban and the maritime worlds. He paints a vivid picture of London life: “people walking quietly,” “little children playing,” and “the Green Park iron railings,” all of which evoke a calm and orderly world. These images of stability are set against the imagery of the sea: the “squally wild northwester” and the “pitching of the sea,” which emphasize chaos and instability.

The “flags of Piccadilly” act as a recurring motif, symbolizing both the physical location of London and the speaker’s emotional attachment to it. Although the flags are not explicitly described, their mention conjures a sense of place and continuity amidst the speaker’s dislocation.

Tone
The tone of the poem is both wistful and ironic. The speaker’s longing for Piccadilly, a place he once wished to escape, reveals a bittersweet realization of how perspective changes when one is removed from the familiar. This shift in tone—from disdain to longing—reflects the speaker’s complex emotional response to his current situation.

There’s also a sense of humor in the irony of the speaker’s reversal of feelings: something as trivial as the “paper kites” in the city contrasts starkly with the life-threatening gales he experiences at sea, further underscoring the gap between his past and present perceptions.