Sir Walter Raleigh To His Son: a poem by Sir Walter Raleigh
A 12-line poem with a clear message, plus two unnecessary extra lines
Sir Walter Raleigh (c. 1552–1618) led an adventurous life, being credited (almost certainly falsely) with introducing potatoes and tobacco to England , as well as being a favourite courtier of Queen Elizabeth I, although he fell foul of her successor, King James I, and ended his life on the executioner’s block. He was also an accomplished poet whose work anticipated the metaphysical style of John Donne.
There is a famous portrait of Raleigh (in London’s National Portrait Gallery) that shows him alongside his son Walter (1593–1618), who was the addressee of “Sir Walter Raleigh to his Son”. The younger Walter grew up to be somewhat unruly and mischievous. He was killed during his father’s disastrous final expedition to Guiana.
The poem
Three things there be that prosper up apace
And flourish, whilst they grow asunder far,
But on a day, they meet all in one place,
And when they meet, they one another mar;
And they be these: the wood, the weed, the wag.
The wood is that which makes the gallow tree;
The weed is that which strings the hangman’s bag;
The wag, my pretty knave, betokeneth thee.
Mark well, dear boy, whilst these assemble not
Green springs the…
