He was an accomplished poet

Raleigh was renowned for writing simply, straightforward poetry devoid of intricate adornment. As a Renaissance poet who rejected the influence of complex literary tropes, he is known as a "silver poet." However, his poetry was regarded as powerful and profound, especially when it came to the themes of love and beauty, and he drew inspiration from actual events. The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd, The Lie, If Cynthia be a Queen, The Ocean's Love to Cynthia, Nature, and That Washed Her Hands in Milk are just a few of his dramatic masterpieces. False love, according to one poetry called "Farewell, False Love," is the worst enemy:

"Goodbye, false love, the soothsayer of lies, A mortal enemy laid to rest, A jealous boy who is the source of all worries, A horrible bastard, a beast driven by rage, A path of wrong, a treasonous temple, with all results against common sense."

The story that Raleigh had an affair with Queen Elizabeth I goes on because it was thought that the Cynthia character in his writings was a fictitious name for the monarch.