The Author’s Epitaph, Made by Himself

Sir Walter Raleigh

1552–1618

An epitaph may be defined as (1) an inscription on a tombstone in memory of the one buried there or (2) a brief literary piece commemorating a deceased person.

Analysis 1

Even such is 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, And from which earth, and grave, and dust,

The Lord shall raise me up, I trust.

The epitaph was allegedly written the night before Raleigh’s execution. However, there is

no anecdotal evidence to substantiate this claim.

The THEME is related to the transience of life and the ravages of time, as well as the belief in an

afterlife.

The overall TONE is bitter and gloomy, with a hint of hope in the last two lines.

The predominant meter is iambic tetrameter, with

initial trochaic inversions occurring in lines 4 and 6.

The first of these inversions gives the impression of an

accusatory tone, which emphasizes the bitterness apparent in the poem. The second inversion places the

stress on the word “shuts” (l. 6), highlighting its three

possible interpretations: (1) when the lid is placed on a coffin, the existence of the person within ends, and so does his or her so-called

“story” as life cannot offer any more experiences; (2) as

“shuts up” may refer to a person ceasing to speak,

Raleigh may be implying that in time he will be forgotten and no one will talk about

him, his “story” passing out of living memory; (3) lastly, the construction may be a

subtle criticism of King James I’s insistence that Raleigh

keep his displeasure with the newly appointed monarch to

himself.

The first three lines introduce the idea of time as something of a pawnbroker: people trust Time with everything they have, believing that Time will eventually return their possessions. However, that is never the case; therefore, Raleigh laments the fact that all he gets in return is “age

and dust” (line 3). Furthermore, the personification of time and the opening words “even such” (line 1) point to Raleigh’s belief that not only time but

also other people may be held responsible for his fate. It may be a reference to King James I, who had Raleigh executed despite all the services he had

rendered England. It follows that the epitaph expresses Raleigh’s bitterness over his imminent execution, which he probably regards as unfair.

This contrasts with Raleigh’s colorful,

flamboyant life at court and with his adventurous

voyages, making his bitterness all the more poignant as a result of what he has lost. The

word “silent” (l. 4) may likewise be a reference to King James’s habit of

forcing Raleigh to disavow his critical views

on the new monarchy.

Analysis 2

Even such is time, // which takes in trust a Our youth, our joys, and all we have, b And pays us but with age and dust, a

Who in the dark and silent grave b When we have wandered all our ways c

Shuts up the story of our days, c And from which earth, and grave, and dust, a

The Lord shall raise me up, // I trust. a

The poem is end-rhymed a-b-a-b-c-c-a-a. The interlocking rhymes introduce the idea

that time is inexorable, permeating everything; this is further strengthened by

the frequent use of enjambment. The latter also

gives a sense of the continuous nature of life, as evidenced by its use in the

part of the poem that describes how Raleigh’s life

has run its course. Moreover, a period, which is a so-called “hard” stop, appears only at the very end of the epitaph, suggesting that Raleigh’s life on earth must end. However,

as this is delivered in a somewhat hopeful tone, it

implies that earthly existence is succeeded by

afterlife, or possibly by resurrection, depending on

how one chooses to interpret the phrase “raise me up”

(line 8). Lastly, hypercatalexis occurs in the

first line, but this may be attributed to differences in

pronunciation.

The word “trust” (line 1) is repeated in the last line of the poem. This makes the epitaph seem circular, implying that Raleigh’s hope may be more feeble than it initially appears

to be: he has trusted Time, but Time has failed him; therefore, he fears that God will

fail him as well. The caesura marks Raleigh’s hesitancy, making “I trust” (line 8) seem to be a reluctantly acknowledged afterthought;

this may perhaps be attributed to the fact that Raleigh cannot overlook his doubts even though he does not wish to deviate from the

unwavering belief in God imposed by religion.

Alliteration of the letter “w” occurs in line 5. It

creates a sound reminiscent of waves,

implying that everything one does will be erased in time, much

like sand is washed away by the sea. This

shows that there is sorrow behind Raleigh’s bitterness, as might be expected of one who

faces death. The question that arises is

along the lines of, “Does life matter in the end?”

Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the

letter “t” is repeated in the first line: the sound

created is harsh and forceful, adding to the

resentment Raleigh feels toward Time.

The caesura in line 1 is used for emphasis: it draws the attention of readers, making them

reconsider the significance of the first phrase, “Even such is time.” This adds to the aforementioned idea that Raleigh resents not only Time but also King James I. Additionally,

the second part of the line is likewise highlighted, pointing to Raleigh’s belief that

trusting Time is foolish.

In line 7, the coordinating conjunction “and,” as well as the

commas, confers equal importance upon “earth,”

“grave,” and “dust,” implying that Raleigh wishes to escape not only the physical nature of death, but also the oblivion to which his life

seems doomed. The latter point is implied by the use of “dust” (l. 7),

taken to represent the deterioration of his achievements

and legacy.