ShmoopTube

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Here's your shmoop du jour, brought to you by Queen Elizabeth, who probably spent a little

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too much time sitting on the throne.

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Which of the following BEST explains the relationship between the title and the content of the poem?

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And here are the potential answers...

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Okay, so... assuming the title isn't referring to someone saying "so long" to their upper limbs after some kind of riding lawn mower accident...

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...there must be some other meaning contained in the text.

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This question wants to know... what does the title have to do with the rest of the poem?

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Is this an ode to Queen Elizabeth?

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Nah, can't be an ode. An ode is a poem that praises something, and the overall purpose

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of this poem isn't to praise the Queen.

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In poetic terms: "'Tis a shout-out, nothing more."

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Is the speaker detailing his reasons for living a monastic life?

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Well... lines 7 through 14 do mention the monastic, or monk-like, lifestyle...

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...but again, it's not the overarching topic of the poem. So choosing "monastic" wouldn't

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be fantastic. Is the speaker begging the queen for mercy

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after deserting the army?

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No, there's no mention of the speaker being a deserter. Although... we do hear he has

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trouble turning down an apple tart. Is he explaining his reasons for leaving active service?

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There we go. This poem is basically a retirement letter, with the speaker saying, in effect...

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that he's getting too old for this <<censored beep>>.

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So it's "arms" in military terms, and he's saying "farewell" to it.

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Just to have all our bases covered... is the speaker saying farewell to Queen Elizabeth?

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No, not to queenie herself... just to his service to her.

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So yeah... our answer is D.

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Okay, your Royal Highness, time to flush or get off the throne...

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