What is the Verse Exchange between Elizabeth and Sir Walter Ralegh about, what are it's main points? Poem is located below.
(ralegh to elizabeth)Fortune hath taken thee away, my love,My life's joy and my soul's heaven above;Fortune hath taken thee away my princess,My world's delight and my true fancy's mistress. Fortune hath taken all away from me,Fortune hath taken all by taking thee;Dead to all joys, I only live to woe,So Fortune now becomes my fancy's foe. In vain mine eyes, in vain you waste your tears,In vain my sighs, the smokes of my despairs,In vain you search the earth and heavens above,In vain you search, for fortune keeps my love. Then will I leave my love in Fortune's hands,Then will I leave my love in worthless bands,And only love the sorrow due to me;Sorrow, henceforth that shall my princess be, And only joy that Fortune conquers kings,Fortune that rules on earth and earthly thingsHath ta'en my love in spite of virtue's might:So blind a goddess did never virtue right. With wisdom's eyes had but blind Fortune seen,Then had my love my love forever been;But love, farewell, though Fortune conquer thee,No Fortune base shall ever alter me.(The Queen's answer)Ah silly pug, wert thou so sore afraid?Mourn not, my Wat, nor be thou so dismayed;It passeth fickle Fortune's power and skillTo force my heart to think thee any ill. No Fortune base, thou sayest, shall alter thee;And may so blind a wretch then conquer me?No, no, my pug, though Fortune were not blind,Assure thyself she could not rule my mind. Ne chose I thee by foolish Fortune's rede,Ne can she make me alter with such speed,But must thou needs sour sorrow's servant be,If that to try thy mistress jest with thee. Fortune, I grant, sometimes doth conquer kings,And rules and reigns on earth and earthly things,But never think that Fortune can bear sway,If virtue watch and will her not obey. Pluck up thy heart, suppress thy brackish tears,Torment thee not, but put away thy fears,Thy love, thy joy, she loves no worthless bands,Much less to be in reeling Fortune's hands. Dead to all joys and living unto woe,Slain quite by her that never gave wiseman blow,Revive again and live without all dread,The less afraid the better shalt thou speed.
