The poems of Sir Walter Ralegh often deal with the issue of death and mortality.
In some cases he directly deals with the issue, and others he uses vast
metaphors in order to convey his message. For the most part, Ralegh takes a very
bleak position on the issues of death and aging, but in some cases he takes a
more optimistic view. Ralegh is said to have been a man who was a historian,
soldier, courtier, philosopher, explorer, and of course a poet. The fact that he
spent the last years of his life in a prison and was then executed for false
charges of treason suggest that he knew the potential dangers of his activities
and made a conscious decision to live the way he did. It is clear from his work
that Ralegh did not know exactly what to think about the issue of death, and
that he spent a great deal of time thinking it over. The result of this pressing
question in RaleghÕs mind is a collection of poetry that covers the subject
from several different perspectives. In RaleghÕs short poem ÒOn the life of
ManÓ, he (as the title suggest) reflects on the meaning of human life. Ralegh
makes the analogy of life being like a production on a stage. He compares the
time spent in a motherÕs womb to being like that of time spent in a dressing
room where we prepare for what he calls a comedy. He gives no suggestion of any
set structure in the comedy, but states quite clearly that heaven is watching
and will be judging. He goes on to compare graves to drawn curtains. This is a
very pervolant idea in American society where there is a cliche of the term ÒcurtainsÓ
for meaning the end or death. This particular poem is not very optimistic simply
because there is nothing in it to suggest that life has any profound or special
meaning which is something that people want to believe. Ralegh concludes this
poem with the line: ÒOnly we die in earnest, thatÕs no jest.Ó From this it
can be assumed that he thinks of his life a a comic time which should be enjoyed
except for the end which is not funny at all. In RalieghÕs poem ÒThe LieÓ, he
also deals with the subject of mortality. The first line of this poem is ÒGo,
soul, the bodyÕs guestÓ. It is clear that he sees the soul as a separate being
from oneÕs physical body. In this scenario the body is simply the host of the
soul, and it will leave upon the expiration of life. In this poem Ralegh is
sending his soul on a mission to tell all of the people of the world that they
are living a complete contradiction. He lists all kinds of things that he claims
are not what they seem. There are lines like Òtell flesh it is but dustÓ, and
Òtell nature of decayÓ. Basically he is commissioning his soul to go and tell
the world what he feels that it needs to hear, and the soul is the perfect
messenger because it can not be harmed. This is clearly his intent, and this is
evident from the last four lines of the poem which read: Although to give the
lie deserves no less that stabbing- Stab at thee he that will, No stab the soul
can kill. This quote clearly shows the power and virtue of a soul. There are
contradictions in this poem. On one hand it has a very bleak outlook on life,
and suggests that humans are inherently immoral, but at the same time it touches
on the sorrow and loss in the event of death. All the while the soul which is
now free and untouchable is sent to be the bearer of bad tidings. This poem can
be interpreted in more than one way, but there can be no doubt that Ralegh
believed that death meant the soul could move on to better things which is not a
pessimistic attitude. In RaleghÕs poem ÒNature, That Washed Her Hands in MilkÓ,
he shows a much more negative sentiment towards the life cycle. He concludes
this poem with the lines: Oh, cruel time! which takes in trust Our youth, our
joys, and all we have, And pays us but with age and dust; Who in the dark and
silent grave When we have wandered all our ways Shuts up the story of our days.
In this passage he is condemning time for having no regard for man. He blames
its passage for the aging process. He suggest that it should give something in
return for what it takes. He is overlooking the obvious which is the fact that
time is not cruel, but rather indifferent to life. It passes consistently and
disrespectfully with absolutely no regard to the human condition. He also blames
time for making people forget the lives we live which is some peopleÕs greatest
fear. This passage offers little in the way of hope or comfort to people, and
seems to dote on the negative aspects of life. In contrast to this poemÕs
negative nature, RaleghÕs poem ÒThe Passionate ManÕs PilgrimageÓ. This
entire 59 line poem is dedicated to the idea of passage from life to death. In
this poem Ralegh magically captures his idea of the nature of heaven. His basic
idea is similar to all of the glorious ideas of what society pictures heaven to
be. His description includes fine cloths, gold and diamonds in the streets,
happiness with good friends, and an overall feel of goodness and peace. After
this extended description of heaven he states: Seeing my flesh must die so soone,
And want a head to dine next noone, Just as the stroke when my vaines start and
spred Set my soul on an everlasting head. From this line it can be taken to mean
that he feels that as long as he is permitted to go to this place which he has
described that he has absoultly no problem with death what so ever. Since death
is unavoidable, this is a fine attitude to take about the subject. He evidently
has come to terms with his own mortality, and is prepared to take the next step.
RaleghÕs poetry varies quite a bit when it comes to the subject of mortality.
Is some cases he shows spite and bitterness towards the ever encroaching aspect
of time. He seems to feel robbed and cheated by his rapidly shortening amount of
time in the world. On the other hand, much of his work takes a great deal of
solace in the fact that the eternal soul moves on to a better place upon the
conclusion of life. Ralegh clearly did not feel that he had all of the answers
when it comes to the transition from life to death. It was a subject that
occupied a great deal of his poetry, and most likely his thoughts. It is evident
from his work that Ralegh was a man who believed that there was something beyond
death, and this is the idea he embraced and glorified in his poems.