Drayton's To The Virginian Voyage

Kevin O’Connor

British Literature

April 4, 2011

Rumination # 5

To The Virginian Voyage

            Drayton’s Ode epitomizes the travel narrative in that it refers to foreign locals, yet does not confine itself to a single space. It rejects the notion of time, claiming instead that the voyage should be look at as a process, an odyssey that the individual can get lost in. Drayton opens the poem by commending those who go off in search of new sights and smells, identifying their cause of pursuit as the highest ideal. In the lines, “Whilst loit’ring hinds/ Lurk here at home, with shame,” (lines 5-6), Drayton condemns the passivity to which some simply remain at home, fearful of leaving the lives they have become conditioned to. It’s to these individuals that Drayton commends the ode, entreating them at once to take to the sea.

            The progression of the ode sees a glorification of the sea, lauding its vastness as an almost grand mystical experience. Drayton addresses the British nation as a whole, not in name, but their decision to remain rooted in the same spot for so long. His urging of them to go to sea is viewed by Drayton as being a commitment. With the lines, “With vows as strong as the wind that blows you,” (lines 11-12) Drayton describes the overwhelming impact of travel, calling it an experience that once undergone leaves a lasting impression on the voyager. The poet realizes the apprehensions of those unwilling to travel such a vast distance, referencing the many perils that could potentially be encountered along the way. In the lines, “You need not fear/ So absolute the deep,” (lines 17-18), the poet hints at the universal aspect at the sea, and that although many greet it with a sense of trepidation voyagers should look on its vastness as a calming effect.

            It isn’t until hallway through the poem that Drayton hints at a destination, wanting instead for the reader to be drawn into the concept of the voyage itself. With the lines, “To get the pearl and gold/ And ours to hold, Virginia,” (lines 21-23) Drayton builds a metaphor that bridges the sea and land, referring to the pearl from the oyster and gold from the mines. These lines carry with them the sense of exploration lauded by Drayton, as the pursuit of these two valuables calls for exploration and excavation. The goal of these passages is to create a sense of dichotomy between land and sea, Drayton claiming that you can’t have one without the other. When as the smell/ Of that delicious land/ Above the sea flows,” (lines 43-45), Drayton begins to recognize the allure of land, when previously he referred to the enticing aspect of the sea. It’s through these lines that the poet is able to create a sense of restlessness, invoking the idea that humanity is on the constant move for greener pastures. It is through these constant explorations that humanity both finds and loses itself, always torn between the two.