The Poetry of Sir Walter Raleigh: "The world itself is but a large prison, out of which some are daily led to execution."

by Walter Raleigh

Sir Walter Raleigh was born on 22 January 1552 (though some claim 1554) at Hayes Barton, East Budleigh, Devon, England. He is perhaps most well known for introducing tobacco into England but his life is one of great intrigue. After taking part in the suppression of various Irish rebellions he took possession of their confiscated lands and rose rapidly to become a favourite of Queen Elizabeth. By 1585 he was knighted. A leader in the English exploitation of North America he gained a Royal Charter to explore and named what he found in honour of the Queen – Virginia. By secretly marrying Elizabeth Throckmorton, a lady in waiting, without the Queen’s permission, they were both sent to the tower Of London. After release he retired to Sherborne in Dorset but by 1594 he was on his way to South America in search of the fabled El Dorado, of which he wrote an amplified account of his adventures. With the Queen’s death in 1603 he was again arrested this time for treason. He was released again to search again for El Dorado but unfortunately ransacked a Spanish outpost. The Spanish demanded retribution and he was again arrested and this time beheaded on October 29th 1618. Here we publish much of his poetry. Written in a plain style and much based on actual events it delivers a powerful voice from a man as colourful as his times.

49 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 7, 2014

About the author

Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh (c.1552 - 1618), was a famed English writer, poet, soldier, courtier, and explorer.

Raleigh was born to a Protestant family in Devon, the son of Walter Raleigh and Catherine Champernowne. Little is known for certain of his early life, though he spent some time in Ireland, in Killua Castle, Clonmellon, County Westmeath, taking part in the suppression of rebellions and participating in two infamous massacres at Rathlin Island and Smerwick, later becoming a landlord of lands confiscated from the Irish. He rose rapidly in Queen Elizabeth I's favour, being knighted in 1585, and was involved in the early English colonisation of the New World in Virginia under a royal patent. In 1591 he secretly married Elizabeth Throckmorton, one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting, without requesting the Queen's permission, for which he and his wife were sent to the Tower of London. After his release, they retired to his estate at Sherborne, Dorset.

In 1594 Raleigh heard of a "City of Gold" in South America and sailed to find it, publishing an exaggerated account of his experiences in a book that contributed to the legend of El Dorado. After Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, Raleigh was again imprisoned in the Tower, this time for allegedly being involved in the Main Plot against King James I, who was not favourably disposed toward him. In 1616, however, he was released in order to conduct a second expedition in search of El Dorado. This was unsuccessful and the Spanish outpost at San Thomé was ransacked by men under his command. After his return to England he was arrested and, after a show trial held mainly to appease the Spanish after Raleigh's attack of San Thomé, he was beheaded at Whitehall.