Sir Walter Raleigh Criticism
Sir Walter Raleigh, a figure of enduring fascination, continues to captivate scholars through his diverse contributions to Elizabethan literature and his tumultuous political career. His close association with Queen Elizabeth I, where he served as both courtier and military officer, significantly influenced his writings, particularly his poetry. The complexities of his life, marked by imprisonment in the Tower of London due to personal rivalries and his secret marriage to Elizabeth Throckmorton, are reflected in his literary works. Raleigh's verse and prose from this period, such as The Ocean to Cynthia, offer a revealing glimpse into his political and emotional struggles, acting as a poetic plea to the Queen. This is explored in pieces like Sir Walter Ralegh as Poet and Philosopher.
Raleigh's literary contributions were deeply intertwined with his status as a courtier, with his poems often circulated privately among the elite. His reputation has fluctuated over time, influenced by accusations of atheism and his changing political fortune, as discussed in The Judicious Historian. Nonetheless, Raleigh is celebrated as a quintessential Renaissance man, skilled in poetry, prose, and exploration. His embodiment of Renaissance ideals is analyzed in The Renaissance Imagination, and his blending of pessimism with eloquence is highlighted by An Introduction to Sir Walter Ralegh: Selected Writings.
The legacy of Raleigh's works has been complicated by historical controversies over authorship, but modern scholarship has helped to solidify his status in the canon of Elizabethan literature. His writings are appreciated for their artistic merit beyond their role as patronage literature. Steven W. May and Philip Edwards have both noted his nuanced language and structure, while Joyce Horner and Edith Whitehurst Williams explore his use of imagery and themes that mirror his contemporary political and personal landscapes. His dramatic self-conception and the philosophical depth of his writings are examined by Stephen Greenblatt in Ralegh and the Dramatic Sense of Life.
Raleigh's engagement in significant military and naval endeavors, as well as his colonial ventures, both supported and complicated his political career, as discussed in Ralegh—Science, History, and Politics. His literature often reflects themes of exploration, power, and intellectual engagement. The Ocean to Cynthia, detailed in Ralegh's Court Poetry and Inscribing Imperfection: Sir Walter Ralegh and the Elizabethan Court, highlights his personal struggles and loss at court, while Of Human Knowledge situates him within the broader context of Greek, Roman, and Renaissance thought.
The ongoing scholarly interest in Raleigh's work underscores his enduring influence, with modern criticism examining his role in patronage-driven literature and its impact on later literary forms, as emphasized in The Work of Gender in the Discourse of Discovery and An introduction to The History of the World. His multifaceted legacy remains a rich field for exploration, offering insights into both his era and the evolution of English literature.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Raleigh, Sir Walter (Vol. 31)
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Of Human Knowledge
(summary)
In the essay below, Strathmann places Raleigh's thought in the context of Greek, Roman, and Renaissance scepticism: "we find in [Raleigh's] utterances and writings support for his modest reputation in the seventeenth century as a philosophic sceptic."
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The Prose
(summary)
In the following essay, Edwards examines the nature of Raleigh's prose works, focusing in particular on his treatment of military and naval engagements, his reflective writings, and his conception of historiography.
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Ralegh—Science, History, and Politics
(summary)
In the following excerpt, taken from an expanded version of a lecture originally delivered at Oxford University in 1962, Hill provides an overview of Raleigh's social, political, and intellectual background, focusing in particular on the courtier's literary and scientific pursuits and his involvement in foreign policy during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I.
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An introduction to The History of the World
(summary)
In the essay below, Patrides analyzes the Christian historiographical method that informs Raleigh's The History of the World.
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Ralegh's Court Poetry
(summary)
In the following analysis of Raleigh's court poetry, which focuses on The Ocean to Cynthia, Greenblatt examines the ways in which the poetry was shaped by Raleigh's relationship with Queen Elizabeth I and his desire to forge a successful career for himself at court.
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Inscribing Imperfection: Sir Walter Ralegh and the Elizabethan Court
(summary)
In the following essay, Campbell analyzes the structure and historical context of Raleigh's "The Ocean to Cynthia," arguing that the work is "a poem consumed with loss" for Raleigh's failure to remain in favor with Queen Elizabeth I.
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The Work of Gender in the Discourse of Discovery
(summary)
In the following essay, Montrose examines the cultural background of Raleigh's The Discoverie of Guiana (1596), focusing specifically on the presence of such opposing values in the work as European and Indian, English and Spanish, culture and nature, and male and female.
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Of Human Knowledge
(summary)
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Raleigh, Sir Walter (Vol. 39)
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Sir Walter Ralegh as Poet and Philosopher
(summary)
In the following excerpt, which is drawn from a lecture originally delivered in 1938, Brooke discusses Raleigh's poetry and prose, as well as his personality and career, as products of Elizabethan romanticism.
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The Judicious Historian
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Strathmann examines the considerable fluctuations in Raleigh's reputation during his lifetime and on into the twentieth century, focusing on the History and Raleigh's alleged atheism.
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The Renaissance Imagination
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Edwards explains why he considers Raleigh the embodiment of the chief characteristics of the Renaissance, primarily discussing Raleigh's interest in science and the arts and his religious beliefs.
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The Poetry of Sir Walter Ralegh
(summary)
In the following essay, Ure contrasts Raleigh's poetry with that of Spenser and emphasizes that, as both a literary artist and man, Raleigh left an ambiguous impression.
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Ralegh and the Dramatic Sense of Life
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Greenblatt traces the origins of Raleigh's histrionic conception of himself and of his surroundings, a worldview that, according to the critic, manifested itself in Raleigh's writings in both deeply pessimistic and highly optimistic appraisals of humankind's ability to control their destiny.
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The Historian and His Appropriate Subject Matter
(summary)
In the following excerpt from his book-length study of Raleigh's History, Racin elucidates Raleigh's concept of truth in historiography and his understanding of his role as a historian.
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An Introduction to Sir Walter Ralegh: Selected Writings
(summary)
In the following introduction to his edition of Raleigh's selected works, Hammond underscores the essentially pessimistic tone of Raleigh's writings and describes the stylistic features of his poetry and prose.
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Sir Walter Ralegh as Poet and Philosopher
(summary)
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Raleigh, Sir Walter
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A review of The Poems of Sir Walter Ralegh
(summary)
In the following review, Hudson provides a mixed assessment of Agnes M. C. Latham's edition of The Poems of Sir Walter Ralegh, noting her significant contributions to the Ralegh canon and the discoveries she has made, which enhance the understanding of Ralegh's work.
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Sir Walter Ralegh as Poet and Philosopher
(summary)
In the following essay, originally given as a lecture in 1938, Brooke unfavorably compares Raleigh to his English contemporaries, Philip Sidney, Edmund Spenser, and Christopher Marlowe.
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The Poems of Sir Walter Ralegh
(summary)
In the following review, Trevor-Roper offers a brief overview of Raleigh's life and career.
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The Poetry
(summary)
In the following essay, Edwards considers the defining characteristics of Raleigh's poetry.
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The Large Landscape: A Study of Certain Images in Ralegh
(summary)
In the following essay, Horner discusses sea and earth imagery in The Ocean to Cynthia.
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The Poetry of Sir Walter Ralegh
(summary)
In the following essay, Ure provides an overview of Raleigh's court poetry.
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The Date of Raleigh's ‘21th: and Last Booke of the Ocean to Scinthia’
(summary)
In the following essay, Duncan-Jones determines the time of composition for Raleigh's poem.
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Ralegh's Court Poetry
(summary)
In the following essay, Greenblatt examines the ways in which Raleigh's poetry was shaped by his relationship with Queen Elizabeth I and his desire to forge a successful career for himself at court.
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Some Problems of Unity in Sir Walter Ralegh's The Ocean's Love to Cynthia
(summary)
In the following essay, Johnson analyzes the consistency and success of the poem's metaphorical and thematic structure.
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The Anglo-Saxon Theme of Exile in Renaissance Lyrics: A Perspective on Two Sonnets of Sir Walter Ralegh
(summary)
In the following essay, Williams examines Raleigh's sonnets in the context of Old English Lyric.
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Marriage and Disgrace
(summary)
In the following essay, Winton relates the circumstances surrounding Raleigh's marriage and fall from royal favor and reflects on how these events formed his work.
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Companion Poems in the Ralegh Canon
(summary)
In the following essay, May discusses a few Elizabethan companion poems attributed to Raleigh, concluding these poems 'form a coherent pattern which expands our understanding of the overall role of poetry in his life.'
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‘Words cannot knytt’: Language and Desire in Ralegh's The Ocean to Cynthia
(summary)
In the following essay, Stillman emphasizes the connection in The Ocean of Cynthia between Raleigh's loss of Elizabeth I's favor and the inadequacy of language—specifically, the symbolic mode formerly used by Raleigh to represent the Queen's cultic status as a beloved deity—to express his suffering.
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The Courtier's Pen
(summary)
In the following excerpt from his critical biography of Raleigh, May offers a thematic and stylistic analysis of Raleigh's early verse.
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’Knowinge shee cann renew’: Sir Walter Ralegh in Praise of the Virgin Queen
(summary)
In the following essay, Beer analyzes the structure of The Ocean to Cynthia and challenges the assumption of the poem's incompleteness.
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Ralegh's Early Poetry and Its Metrical Context
(summary)
In the following essay, Bajetta finds similarities between Raleigh's two early poems and places them in the context of their literary milieu.
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A review of The Poems of Sir Walter Ralegh
(summary)
- Further Reading