Summary:
The poem describes a beautiful garden, once a place of joy and natural love, now transformed into a "green and pleasant land" with a "chapel" built in the center. This chapel symbolizes organized religion and its dominance over the garden, representing the suppression of individual expression and natural desire.
The speaker mourns the loss of "the joys of the earth," the natural pleasures and freedoms once enjoyed in the garden. He laments the presence of priests and "holy" laws that forbid enjoyment and expression, replacing natural love with "virtue" and "heavenly" expectations.
The final line, "And the gates are all shut, and the paths are all closed," highlights the stifling nature of this new regime. The garden, once open and inviting, is now locked away, symbolizing the suppression of natural desire and the silencing of individual voices.
Themes:
* Religion and its effect on individual freedom: The poem criticizes the restrictions imposed by organized religion, portraying it as a force that stifles natural desires and joy.
* Suppression of love and natural instinct: The garden, once a place of love and pleasure, is transformed into a place of religious dogma and restrictive laws.
* The importance of individual expression: The speaker mourns the loss of freedom and natural joy, suggesting that true fulfillment comes from embracing one's natural desires and instincts.
Overall, "The Garden of Love" is a powerful indictment of religious dogma and the impact it has on individual freedom and the expression of love.