Hypocrisy

The Lie

by: Sir Walter Raleigh

•  

  Go, Soul, the body’s guest,

  Upon a thankless arrant!

  Fear not to touch the best;

  The truth shall be thy warrant:

  Go, since I needs must die,

  And give the world the lie.

   

  Say to the court it glows

  And shines like rotten wood;

  Say to the church it shows

  What’s good, and doth no good:

  If court and church reply,

  Then give them both the lie.

   

  Tell potentates they live

  Acting by others’ action,

  Not loved unless they give,

  Not strong but by a faction.

  If potentates reply,

  Give potentates the lie.

   

  Tell men of high condition

  That manage the estate,

  Their purpose is ambition,

  Their practice only hate:

  And if they make reply,

  Then give them all the lie.

   

  Tell them that brave it most,

  They beg for more by spending,

  Who, in their greatest cost,

  Seek nothing but commending:

  And if they make reply,

  Then give them all the lie.

   

  Tell zeal it wants devotion;

  Tell love it is but lust;

  Tell time it is but motion;

  Tell flesh it is but dust:

  And wish them not reply,

  For thou must give the lie.

   

  Tell age it daily wasteth;

  Tell honor how it alters;

  Tell beauty how she blasteth;

  Tell favor how she falters:

  And as they shall reply,

  Give every one the lie.

   

  Tell wit how much it wrangles

  In tickle points of niceness;

  Tell wisdom she entangles

  Herself in over-wiseness:

  And when they do reply,

  Straight give them both the lie.

   

  Tell physic of her boldness;

  Tell skill it is pretension;

  Tell charity of coldness;

  Tell law it is contention:

  And as they do reply,

  So give them still the lie.

   

  Tell fortune of her blindness;

  Tell nature of decay;

  Tell friendship of unkindness;

  Tell justice of delay:

  And if they will reply,

  Then give them all the lie.

   

  Tell arts they have no soundness,

  But vary by esteeming;

  Tell schools they want profoundness,

  And stand too much on seeming:

  If arts and school reply,

  Give arts and school the lie.

   

  Tell faith it fled the city;

  Tell how the country erreth;

  Tell manhood shakes off pity;

  Tell virtue least preferreth:

  And if they do reply,

  Spare not to give the lie.

   

  So when thou hast, as I

  Commanded thee, done blabbing,–

  Although to give the lie

  Deserves no less than stabbing,–

  Stab at thee, he that will,

  No stab the soul can kill.  

   I think this poem is about hypocrisy:  “Say to the court it glows and shines like rotten wood; Say to the church it shows what’s good, and doth no good.”  Since “rotten wood” does not glow, I think Raleigh is saying that the court is not as upright as it portrays itself to be.  He also says that the church tells everyone what is good but doesn’t do any good itself.  It doesn’t listen to its own advice according to Raleigh.  This idea of hypocrisy is illustrated over and over again throughout the poem.  He says love is lust and time is just motion etc.  The interesting thing is the way he chooses to expose these hidden ills of society.  He has his soul tell everyone because “no stab the soul can kill.”  Since a soul cannot be killed,  he sends out his soul to tell these lies. 

   I really like this poem because Raleigh puts everything in its place.  My favorite line is, “Tell zeal it wants devotion; Tell love it is but lust: Tell time it is but motion; Tell flesh it is but dust.”  I have never been in love but i definetly have been in lust.  I think a lot of people confuse the two so I have to agree with Raleigh on this point.  When he refers to flesh as dust, I think he is bashing lust.  When we die we will eventually turn into dust, so I think hes saying that its kind of crazy to be goo goo eyed over skin.  Skin turns to dust.  I agree with Raleigh.  Looks aren’t everything.  When we get older, everything starts sagging!  So why do we put such a high value on skin in this country?  Whats the big deal?