Sir Thomas Wyatt - Who so list to hount Flashcards
Which woman is Wyatt supposedly influenced by?
Anne Boleyn - She was rumored to have had an affair with Wyatt.
Why must Wyatt resist Boleyn (the hind) in the poem?
Because after their affair she married Henry (the “Caesar” of line 13). The consequences of going after the king’s property (women and real deer included!) could be disastrous - the 5 men who supposedly had affairs with Boleyn were executed.
Give a step by step story of the poem.
- For those into hunting, he knows where to find a hind.
- He is no longer interested in chasing it, but can’t help it.
- He keeps going after it, despite the fact it drives him mad.
- He knows he’ll never catch her and that nobody else will either.
- Trying to catch this hind could be dangerous. As it turns out, she belongs to Caesar (Henry VIII).
Give a quote suggest why he has given up on the chase.
‘The vayne travaill hath weried me so sore’ - It’s a pointless task that has worried him a lot, even worried him to the point of soreness.
What does the quote “farthest cometh behind” suggest?
The speaker is saying he’s in a group that comes last, that lags farthest behind (people used to hunt in groups, so he’s saying he’s in the last group by choice, because he can’t hunt.
Why does Wyatt use the metaphor of a deer to represent Boleyn?
Deer were a big part of Renaissance court culture. In Greek and Roman mythology, the deer was a very special animal. The goddess Diana for example is often accompanied by a deer.
Give evidence to suggest the speakers confusion towards his desire for this woman/deer.
The speaker first told us he “may” not hunt, and now he’s telling us he “may” not keep his eyes off her.
What suggests that this woman cannot be hunted, or cannot be captured by conventional weapons?
Trying to get a hold of this “hind” is like trying to hold the wind in a net. In other words: impossible.
How doe the speaker begin line 9?
Line 9 is the pivotal line (volta) in a sonnet and it begins by repeating the poems first lines but with a different ending which suggests a change in tone.
Why is the quote ‘Diamondes in letters plain’ significant?
The language used here suggests that he is chasing a wealthy woman (Boleyn).
Why do the consequents of hunting a deer correspond to having an affair with the kings wife?
You could get killed for hunting one of the king’s deer. In other words, the speaker must stay away from the woman.
Why is the quote ‘Who list her hunt, I put him out of doubt,
As well as I, may spend his time in vain.’ significant?
The uncertain syntax reinforces the idea of the speaker being uncertain and ill at ease.
What is the semantic field of the poem?
Its about hunting.
What other poems of hunting can this be compared to?
- Wyatt’s “Lux, My Fair Falcon”: the falcon symbolises hunting
- Wyatt’s “They Flee From Me”: The relationship between the woman and the speaker in that poem is that of hunter and prey
Why is the poem more lustful than loving?
You hunt something with the intention of killing it, dominating it, controlling it - expressed clearly with use of a ‘net’.
