Sir+Raleigh++Sample+work+and+Analysis

To his son by Sir Walter Raleigh



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 gallows 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 tree, [|hemp] grows, the wag is wild; But when they meet, it makes the timber rot, It frets the halter, and it chokes the child. Then bless thee, and beware, and let us pray We part not with thee at this meeting day.

hemp

In this poem, Raleigh emphasizes the theme of love and preseverance. He wants his child to conquer everything without falling back. He means his child should not give up anything and must stand up and try again. This shows Raleigh's love for his son and he is advising him from his own experience.

He also used the theme of nature. He usually liked to write about nature because he was an explorer. In this poem, he mentioned springs and trees, for example hemps.

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