The Poetry of Walter Raleigh

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Sir Walter Raleigh did not have the choice of determining his legacy, but he has been remembered as a sixteenth-century British explorer, courtier, and poet.

The capital of North Carolina was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, based on his exploration of the Americas. Still, he ultimately lost his life for his military exploits against the Spanish, competing with the British for control of the Western Hemisphere in the sixteenth century.

While imprisoned in the Tower of London for treason under the rules of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I, Raleigh used the time to write poetry and historical tomes.

Although he was always considered an amateur writer because it was a hobby rather than his profession, Raleigh's poetry contains some of the best examples of Elizabethan courtly poetry.

To learn more about Raleigh's life, read Sir Walter Raleigh, of Hayes Barton, Woodbury Common, East Devon, England. Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper as you read.

• What is unusual about the spelling of Raleigh's surname?
• Why did Raleigh dislike the Catholic Church?
• How did Raleigh assist the English effort during the war with Spain under Elizabeth I's reign?
• Why did Elizabeth I imprison Raleigh in the Tower of London, and why did she eventually release him?
• Why did King James I have Raleigh beheaded?
• What happened to Raleigh's head after his execution?

As previously mentioned, Raleigh wrote in the late sixteenth-century style known as Elizabethan courtly poetry.

This style flourished under the rule of Queen Elizabeth I, Britain's first female ruler. Courtly poetry was so named because it was written by members of the royal court, who were nobles seeking influence with the queen.

The poems often had a love theme because the poets, who were male, tried to flatter the queen by proclaiming their love for her or presenting themselves as a potential mate.

Elizabeth I, who never married and was considered Europe's most eligible bachelorette when she ascended to the throne, encouraged the theme of love in her courtiers because it helped keep people guessing where she might bestow her favor — and possibly even her hand in marriage — giving her more power over the men she was ruling.

To learn more about Elizabeth courtly poetry, read Renaissance Humanism and English Courtly Love and Poetry. As you read, write down how poets used the theme of love in courtly poetry.

• Do you think using love as a theme in writing was a successful tactic for British courtiers? Why or why not?
• Do you think courtly love poetry affected the queen's actions or emotions?

uMove on to the Got It? section to experience several of Raleigh's poems and see what effect they have on you!