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A selection of poems by Sir Walter Raleigh

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By: (1552-1618)

This collection of poems by Sir Walter Raleigh is a true treasure for fans of poetry and English literature. The poems touch upon a range of themes, from love and nature to politics and religion, showcasing Raleigh's versatility as a writer. His language is rich and evocative, drawing readers in with its vivid imagery and emotional depth.

What sets this collection apart is Raleigh's ability to craft powerful verses that resonate with readers long after they have finished reading. Whether reflecting on the fleeting nature of life or celebrating the beauty of the natural world, Raleigh's poems are both timeless and universal in their appeal.

Overall, this collection is a must-read for anyone who appreciates the beauty and power of poetry. Sir Walter Raleigh's words are as relevant and meaningful today as they were centuries ago, making this book a valuable addition to any poetry lover's library.

Book Description:
Sir Walter Raleigh (c. 1552 – 29 October 1618) was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England.

Raleigh's poetry is written in the relatively straightforward, unornamented mode known as the plain style. C. S. Lewis considered Raleigh one of the era's "silver poets", a group of writers who resisted the Italian Renaissance influence of dense classical reference and elaborate poetic devices.

In poems such as "What is Our Life" and "The Lie", Raleigh expresses a contemptus mundi (contempt of the world) attitude more characteristic of the Middle Ages than of the dawning era of humanistic optimism. But, his lesser-known long poem "The Ocean to Cynthia" combines this vein with the more elaborate conceits associated with his contemporaries Edmund Spenser and John Donne, expressing a melancholy sense of history.

A minor poem of Raleigh's captures the atmosphere of the court at the time of Queen Elizabeth I. His response to Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" was "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd". "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" was written in 1592, while Raleigh's "The Nymph's Reply to The Shepherd" was written four years later. Both were written in the style of traditional pastoral poetry. They follow the same structure of six four-line stanzas employing a rhyme scheme of AABB.


Poems in this collection:
Epitaph
The Nymph’s Reply to the ShepherdThe Lie
The Passionate Man’s Pilgrimage
Life
A Farewell to False Love
Praised be Diana’s Fair and Harmless Light
Farewell to the Court
To her Love when He had obtained Her
Nature that Washed Her Hands in Milk
A Vision upon this Conceit of the Fairy Queen
On the Cards and Dice
The Silent Lover
As You Came from the Holy Land
The Excuse
A Description of Love
An Epitaph Upon the Right Honorable Sir Philip Sidney, Knight, Lord Governor of Flushing
Another of the Same (the Faerie Queene)
The Ocean to Cynthia (fragment)
A Farewell to the Vanities of the World


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