Sir Walter Raleigh

The glorious poet Sir Walter Raleigh was a courtier, diplomat as well as an aristocrat who lived during Queen Elizabeth’s reign. Raleigh was born in 1552 and died in 1618. He was close to the Queen and the court as well as a beloved courtier who was destined for greatness due to his ambitious nature and imagination. Raleigh was revolutionary and determined in many ways. He was a historian as well as an adventurer. During one of his expeditions, he heard a story from the native tribe about a legendary city of gold called ‘’El Dorada’’ which makes even Midas himself suffer from jealousy due to the great amount of gold hidden in the mysterious city. However, at some point, his fortune turned good from bad and his life had been so tragic that instead of obtaining the sparkling gold, his wife obtained Raleigh’s head and kept her deceased husband’s head for 29 years with her. After returning to England empty-handed, he fell in favor and was beheaded by the current monarch, James I in 1618 for treason at the palace of Westminster.

According to an article published in the Smithson Magazine, a red velvet bag was found in a mansion that was kept by the widowed wife of Raleigh. The bag was claimed to have contained the head of the poet; ''Four hundred years ago, Sir Walter Raleigh, the poet, soldier and favorite courtier of Elizabeth I had his head chopped off after he was convicted on charges of conspiring against the monarch's successor, James I. Legend has it that Raleigh’s widow, Bess, was so distraught that she took the head and had it embalmed, then kept it near her in a bag the rest of her life. Now, West Horsley Place, where Raleigh’s third son, Carew, lived, says they have found a bag that could have held Raleigh’s head, as David Batty at The Guardian reports.'' (Daley).

The literary career of the poet has altered considerably. His poems changed in tone after having troubles with the court. Especially his well-known poems ‘’The Passionate Man’s Pilgrimage’’ and ‘’The Lie’’ deal with similar themes such as eternity, death, hypocrisy in the court, and eternal happiness in the afterlife. 

 ’The Passionate Man’s Pilgrimage’’ starts with telling a pilgrim who is passionate and ready for his soul to ascend to heaven and reunite with God as well as to gain Godly grace. The speaker is ready for his journey to heaven, he does not afraid to die since he knows that he will be a part of an eternal journey. It is such a place that there is greater peace than nature itself, there will be fountains of abundant nectar which appeals to the thirst of the soul that has been dry when in the earth but will not be dry evermore. The nectar is so abundant that the other reunited pilgrims will appease themselves with the immortality provided by the nectar.

‘’And there I’ll kiss

The bowl of bliss,

And drink my eternal fill

On every milken hill.’’ 

My soul will be a-dry before,

But after it will ne’er thirst more;’’

   ‘’And when our bottles and all we

Are fill’d with immortality’’.

(Raleigh, The Passionate Man’s Pilgrimage’’ 13- 18)

The Earth causes suffering but the hope that what heaven presents is much more meaningful than life itself. Raleigh imagines how heaven would be after he dies while adding political statements addressing the court over how the court is being corrupted due to a bribe that leads to injustice in the world. Humorously adds that Christ would not take bribes compared to attorneys on earth. This poem shows the importance of Christianity and the afterlife as opposed to the neglected justice on earth.

''The gallantry of Sir Walter Raleigh: He spreads his cloak for Queen Elizabeth. Photograph: Bettmann/Bettmann Archive (Guardian)''

 ‘’The Lie’’ is also another important poem about the corruption of the court. It is harsher than ‘’The Passionate Man’s Pilgrimage’’ which is full of hope and creates a clear image of heaven. However, in ''The Lie'', Raleigh denies many aspects of life that people accept without a second doubt. It is a very brave poem in theme due to states the corruption of the court and was written before the execution. The vain hypocrites dominated the court and the church. They have no faith in them and even there is hypocrisy in the court since they show affection if they are loved. Beauty and honor do not exist anymore since love is neglected since it is not supposed to be emotional rather than physical which turns love into an unjust emotion. It is stated that the soul is a guest in the body, even if you stab the soul, you cannot prevent its process of rising to eternity.

‘’Although to give the lie

Deserves no less than stabbing—

Stab at thee he that will,

No stab the soul can kill.’’

(Raleigh, The Lie).

 Both ‘’The Passionate Man’s Pilgrimage’’ and ‘’The Lie’’ are probably written right before he was beheaded by the orders of James I so Raleigh wanted to express himself and tell the truth bravely because he would be executed soon. In both poems, there are allusions to the Christian God and it is reflected that the royal court is full of injustices. He strongly showed how the faith left the city and lead to the neglect of the church. Even society was lustful which is a harsh sin according to Christianity. However, life is indeed short and Raleigh believed that he would enjoy eternal life to the full which is a place of justice, eternal peace, and joy.

In conclusion, the poems of Sir Walter Raleigh were written so bravely that they challenge the court and the people in it by revealing their true identities that they hid behind a mask of their own creation out of hypocrisy and vanity. 

SOURCES CITED:

Daley, Jason. ''Is This the Bag That Held Sir Walter Raleigh’s Mummified Head?'' Smithsonian Magazine. October 30, 2018. Accessed from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bag-held-sir-walter-raleighs-mummified-head-180970656/ August 9, 2023.

Raleigh, Sir Walter. The Lie. 1618 Poetry Foundation, Accessed from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50019/the-lie-56d22cb6afd43 August 9, 2023.

Raleigh, Sir Walter. The Passionate Man’s Pilgrimage. 1592 Poetry Foundation, Accessed from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44940/the-passionate-mans-pilgrimage August 9, 2023.

''The gallantry of Sir Walter Raleigh: He spreads his cloak for Queen Elizabeth.'' Photograph: Bettmann/Bettmann Archive. 29 October 2019, Guardian. Accessed from https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/oct/29/sir-walter-raleigh-hero-of-popular-tradition-archive-1918 August 10, 2023.