Walsingham

Sir Walter Raleigh

 Sir Walter Raleigh (1552 1618)
A famous explorer and favorite of Queen Elizabeth, Raleigh was imprisoned in
the Tower of London by James I where he lived a comfortable lifestyle with his
family. Because he could not leave the fortress, he devoted himself to scientific
experiments and writing. When Raleigh was executed, his last words to his
executioner were, This is sharp medicine; but it is a sure cure for all diseases.
What dost thou fear? Strike, man, strike.
In 1061, a Saxon noblewoman
claimed to have a vision of the
Virgin Mary; consequently, the
village became a famous
destination of holy pilgrimages. It
is now famous for its religious
shrines of the Virgin Mary.
 Content
The poems narrator asks a traveler who is returning from
Walsingham, if he saw his true love. His query shows his
desperation even though he reveals that love may have
had different meanings for each of them.
 Structure
The poem is a narrative
styled like a ballad that
consists of two speakers who
take turns with each stanza.
Divided into ten quatrains,
the poems rhyme scheme is
irregular and seemingly
unimportant. (This may be a
result of the various versions
and spellings of words
associated with this poem.
Walsingham
Sir Walter Raleigh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n26H3vdOCO0
As ye came from the holy land
Of Walsingham,
Met you not with my true love
By the way as you came?
How should I know your true love,
That have met many a one,
As I went from the holy land,
That have come, that have gone?
She is neither white nor brown,
But as the heavens fair;
There is none hath a form so divine
In the earth or then air.
Such a one did I meet, sir,
Such an angelic face,
Who like a queen, like a nymph, did appear
By her gait, by her grace.
She hath left me here alone,
All alone, as unknown,
Who sometimes did me lead with herself
And me loved as her own.
Whats the cause that she leaves you alone
And a new way doth take,
That sometime did love you as her own,
And her joy did you make?
I have loved her all my youth,
But now am old, as you see:
Love likes not the falling fruit,
Nor the witherd tree.
Know that Love is a careless child,
And forgets promise past:
He is blind, he is deaf when he list,
And in faith never fast.
His desire is a dureless content,
And a trustless joy;
He is won with a world of despair,
And is lost with a toy.
Of womankind such indeed is the love,
(Or the word love abusd)
Under which many childish desires
And conceits are excusd.
But true love is a durable fire,
In the mind ever burning,
Never sick, never dead, never cold,
From itself never turning.
Reference to holy land of Walsingham is interesting because the village is
not as holy as other lands, like Jerusalem, Mecca, etc. The speaker may be
elevating the village only because his love is there.

As you came from the holy land

Of Walsingham,
Met you not with my true love
By the way as you came?

How shall I know your true love,

That have met many one,
I went to the holy land,
That have come, that have gone?

Each stanza employs
enjambment throughout
to reflect the dialog
between the two men.
The first two stanzas are fairly direct. The first speaker
asks a traveler if he has seen his true love. The
traveler asks how he would recognize the woman in the
second stanza. The use of these two interrogatives
introduce the narrative and entice the listener/reader to
know more.
 The simile that introduces the womans description elevates
her to more than mortal. This hyperbole reveals the speakers The contrasts in
infatuation with the woman. lines 1 and 4 create
an image of an
ethereal woman
She is neither white nor brown, that is not a mere
mortal.
But as the heavens fair;
There is none hath a form so divine
In the earth or then air.
Her gait is
reminiscent of Such a one did I meet, sir,
a Petrarchan
image of a Such an angelic face,
woman as a Who like a queen, like a nymph, did appear
goddess who
can walk on By her gait, by her grace.
air.
The simile used by the
traveler further establishes
angelic description of
the woman.
 She hath left me here alone, Repetition of alone creates a forlorn
tone that reveals his desperation.
All alone, as unknown,
Who sometimes did me lead with herself Caesura adds to the
note of desperation.
And me loved as her own.
The speaker believe
Whats the cause that she leaves you alone s that she loved him
as he loved her, but
And a new way doth take, the syntax reveals a
That sometime did love you as her own, note of hesitancy by
placing emphasis on
And her joy did you make? me.
The traveler questions why she left the speaker if she loved him. His
question is made valid by through syntax as emphasis is placed on
joy. If the speaker brought her joy, why did she leave?
 Love transitions with stanza seven when
These two images of
fruit and tree love demonstrates negative attributes.
serve as phallic
symbols possibly The speaker reveals that
indicating that he I have loved her all my youth, he is no longer young.
has lost the ability to But now am old, as you see:
function sexually
and therefore not Love likes not the falling fruit,
long gives the Nor the witherd tree.
woman pleasure.

Know that Love is a careless child,

And forgets promise past:
He is blind, he is deaf when he list,
And in faith never fast.

Love is personified to show how undependable it

can be. Additionally, the caesura in line three
helps emphasize the negative qualities of love.
This reference to a careless child may also be an
allusion to Cupid, who is often seen blindfolded.
 transient

His desire is a dureless content, Trustless joy is somewhat paradoxical to

show speakers revelations about love.
And a trustless joy;
He is won with a world of despair, The two concepts juxtaposed in the last two
And is lost with a toy. lines of stanza 9 pair despair with toy to
emphasize the childish reasons that love ends.
Of womankind such indeed is the love,
(Or the word love abusd) Traveler claims that women abuse the
word love to cover for their childish
Under which many childish desires
desires or lust.
And conceits are excusd.
Durable fire implies an everlasting love, something
But true love is a durable fire, that provides comfort and warmth.
In the mind ever burning,
Never sick, never dead, never cold, Use of commas creates a list, and these pauses
(caesura) and the repetition of the word never
From itself never turning. place emphasis on what love should beeternal.
The speaker is desperate
for his lover, but
recognizes that she may
have left him. This creates
a sympathetic tone.
 Theme
The word love can refer to fleeting
lust or to true love.

As with some of the other poems in

the series, women appear as the
villains because they break the heart
of the men. (Could this be because
women were give little choice in
marriage?) This is an interesting spin
on poetry and poses some interesting
ideas about the nature of love.
 Another Idea
Since the speaker addresses a
traveler from Walsingham, a shrine
to the Virgin Mary, some ideas in
the poem allude to faith as the topic.
The missing woman could be Mary,
who is heavens fair and so
divine/In the earth, or the air.
Perhaps the speaker has lost faith
because he is now old. This would
explain his desperation.
 Works Cited
http://www.cieliterature.com/2014/04/01/walsingham/http://www.enotes.com/homework-
help/can-have-an-analysis-sir-w-raleighs-walsingham-423187
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/sir_walter_raleigh.htm