Does the poet really seek rest in the poem "The Vagabond" by R. L. Stevenson? Supply what phrase suggests the answer in the first stanza.

This question is written so as to suggest that yes, the
poetic speaker does really seek rest in this poem, "The Vagabond." The word in the first
stanza that might indicate this interpretation is "Bed," the phrase is "Bed in the
bush," and the verse (i.e., line) is "Bed in the bush with the stars to see."
Unfortunately, if you embrace this reading, that the poet really seeks rest in the poem,
you disregard the majority of the first stanza and contradict the second stanza, and you
can't adequately support this thesis of seeking rest with other textual evidence. It's
good to note that the second is also repeated as a refrain in the last stanza closing
the poem: this repetition marks its importance.

The second
stanza, the refrain of the fourth stanza, means, by way of paraphrase: Let the storm
(blow: storm, strong blast) fall upon me either soon or later; let what will be in the
sky be. Give me the ground of earth and an open road before me. I do not seek wealth;
nor do I seek hope or love; nor a friend who knows me. All I want is the heaven above
and a road to walk before me.

Interestingly, Robert Louis
Stevenson made a practice of taking walking tours through England and especially through
Scotland. One of his best short stories, "The Pavilion on the Links," occurs while the
hero is on a walking tour in Scotland. The second stanza of "The Vagabond" reflects this
walkers' spirit--it could possibly be said to reflect Stevenson's personal experience as
a walker, thereby making the poetic speaker's voice synonymous with the poet's own
voice--and contradicts any notion of the vagabond wanting rest. This is particularly
important to note because the stanza is twice written in the
poem.

The actual meaning of the first stanza, based on the
words Stevenson chose, is this, by way of paraphrase: Let the waters flow past me (lave:
waters as in a river flowing). Give me the jolly sky above me and an open road near me.
My bed will be in the bush with the stars to see as my ceiling; my bread I will dip in
the river [instead of in a sauce or in coffee]--There is the life for a man with my
likes; there is the life for me forever.

While bed is
mentioned and bed does associate with rest and wanting rest, it is countered by the
activity of the lave (flowing water), the byway (open road to walk), and breakfasting
with flowing water. The last lines declare that the life described is the life the
speaker wants. But what life is described? Rest is alluded to once. Activity is alluded
to three times. Activity overpowers rest: therefore the life described that he wants is
the active life with rest only at night under a star-studded ceiling. Therefore, the
poet really seeks activity in the poem "The Vagabond."