Walter Raleigh Summary

Sir Walter Raleigh 1552-1618 English Adventurer and Writer Walter Raleigh's place in history results primarily from his eccentric character and his ambiguous relationship with Queen Elizabeth I... Read more

Biography EssayFor all the opportunism, self-promotion, misjudgment, and personal failure that undeniably mark his long career, Sir Walter Ralegh remains the most credible embodiment that Tudor-Stuart... Read more

For all the opportunism, self-promotion, mis-judgment, and personal failure that undeniably mark his long career, Sir Walter Ralegh remains the most credible embodiment that Tudor-Stuart England has t... Read more

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 ... Read more

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 intellectu... Read more

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 Que... Read more

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 Euro... Read more

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&#x... Read more

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. When Sir Walter Rale... Read more

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. ... Read more

In the following essay, Stillman emphasizes the connection in The Ocean to Cynthia between Raleigh's loss of Elizabeth I's favor and the inadequacy of language—specifically, the s... Read more

In the following essay, Williams examines Raleigh's sonnets in the context of Old English Lyric. The line of descent of later English poetry from Anglo-Saxon antecedents becomes increasingly... Read more

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 rol... Read more

In the following excerpt from his critical biography of Raleigh, May offers a thematic and stylistic analysis of Raleigh's early verse. “Swete were the sauce,” “Sweete a... Read more

In the following essay, Bajetta finds similarities between Raleigh's two early poems and places them in the context of their literary milieu. Two poems are generally regarded as the first po... Read more

In the following review, Trevor-Roper offers a brief overview of Raleigh's life and career. In 1603 the greatest English royal dynasty came to an end. With surprising smoothness King James s... Read more

In the following essay, Horner discusses sea and earth imagery in The Ocean to Cynthia. It is at first a matter for surprise that there is so little of the sea in Ralegh's poetry. It is true... Read more

In the following essay, Duncan-Jones determines the time of composition for Raleigh's poem. The longest surviving piece of poetry by Raleigh, the ‘21th: and last booke of the Ocean to... Read more

In the following essay, Johnson analyzes the consistency and success of the poem's metaphorical and thematic structure. Peter Une, in his article “The Poetry of Sir Walter Ralegh,... Read more