“A year this very day” shows how things have changed over a short period of time. We learn the public has forgotten about him and even when he’s being marched to his death only a few people were there “Just a palsied few”. This causes us to think his so called crime could not have been that bad or else everyone would be there, so we feel bad for him as it seems he has simply been forgotten about which differs from his previous attention.
He continues declaring his innocence throughout, leaving us to think that maybe he hasn’t changed but the people around him have. For example a change in government or politics could cause a change of view in society but he may have stuck to his original views which would mean people hate him for it. When really he’s just being loyal and doing what he knows. “And you see my harvest, what I reap” this shows people have changed, he did everything for them and this is the thanks he gets which reflects how misguided public can be. In the last stanza we see he understands that death is an unwanted but expected consequence and leaves it to god to judge.
The poem has religious comments throughout and it reminds us of Jesus and how he came forward to sacrifice his life for humanity. In the end he is chained and dragged to his death which again commemorates the experience of