The Queen, Ralegh and Bess

Abstract

We must now turn from the external story of Ralegh’s career to the inner story of his relationship with the Queen, which is told only in his poetry. After all, Ralegh was the only man of genius among the men whom she delighted to favour; he was alone in being able to recommend himself in verse that had the principle of life in it, and indeed is still alive to us. In his own day his poetry was recognised for its force and power. After paying tribute to the Court poets, the critic Puttenham goes on to add, ‘for ditty [i.e. song] and amorous ode I find Sir Walter Ralegh’s vein most lofty, insolent and passionate’.¹ He belonged with the Court poets, ‘who have written excellently well, as it would appear if their doings could be found out and made public with the rest’. It was, of course, beneath the dignity of courtiers to publish their verse like the professionals; all the same, Ralegh’s poems were so much appreciated in their own day, circulated and repeated in so many manuscripts, that I do not credit the view that much of his poetry has been lost. I believe we have most of what he wrote, and the bulk of it is concerned with the Queen, or Cynthia.