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Remembrance

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1K views5 pages

Remembrance

pgtrb study material remembrance

Uploaded by

gingeeseeds
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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GINGEE FORT STUDY CENTRE

GINGEE - 604202
CELL: 8015111240

REMEMBRANCE BY SIR THOMAS WYATT

Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542)

 He was a 16th century poet and English Ambassador in the reign of


Henry VIII.

 He was born in Kent and his father Henry Wyatt was a counselor in
the court of Henry VIII.

 He introduced Petrarchan Sonnet in English.

 None of the Wyatt’s poem was published during his lifetime.

 The first book Tottel’s Miscellany was published in 1557 i.e. 15 years
after his death.

 In 1535 Wyatt was knighted and appointed High Sheriff of Kent and
in 1541 was elected Knight of the Shire.

 In 1520 he married to Elizabeth Brooke.

 Tottel’s Miscellany was named after its printer Richard Tottel who
included 97 poems attributed to Wyatt’s among total 271 poems.
Tottel’s Miscellany is also called Songs and Sonnets.

 He experimented stanza forms like rondeau, epigrams, terza rima,


ottava rima, satires, monorime, quatrains, and iambic tetrameter.

 C.S. Lewis called him the “father of the drab age”.

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 In 1536 Wyatt was imprisoned in the tower of London for allegedly
committing adultery with Anne Boleyn the wife of Henry VIII.

 He started Wyatt Rebellion against the marriage of Mary I and Philip


II.

 He was died of illness in 1542.

 The structure of Wyatt sonnet or Petrarchan sonnet is octave and


sestet and a caesura in between. ABBA ABBA + CDC CDE or CDC
CDC

 ‘They Flee from Me’ is a poem written by Thomas Wyatt referring


Wyatt’s affair with high born woman of court of Henry VIII (Anne
Boleyn). Opening Line of the poem is:

“They flee from me, that sometime did me seek with naked foot stalking in my
chamber.”

THEY FLEE FROM ME

 "They Flee from Me" is a short lyric poem by Sir Thomas Wyatt.

 Some critics believe the poem may reflect Wyatt's personal


experiences with women in the court of Henry VIII.

 The poem features a dramatic first-person voice expressing feelings


of loss and complaint about a beloved who has left.

 It is structured in rhyme royal, a poetic form introduced by Geoffrey


Chaucer.

 Rhyme royal consists of seven lines written in iambic pentameter.

 The rhyme scheme for rhyme royal is ABABBCC.

 This specific structure enhances the poem’s emotional depth and


highlights the lyrical voice's sentiments.

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 Overall, the poem captures themes of love, loss, and longing in a
refined poetic form.

TEXT

They flee from me, that sometime did me seek

With naked foot, stalking in my chamber.

I have seen them gentle, tame, and meek,

That now are wild, and do not remember

That sometime they put themselves in danger

To take bread at my hand; and now they range

Busily seeking with a continual change.

Thanked be fortune it hath been otherwise

Twenty times better; but once, in special,

In thin array, after a pleasant guise,

When her loose gown from her shoulders did fall,

And she me caught in her arms long and small;

Therewith all sweetly did me kiss,

And softly said, ‘Dear heart, how like you this?’

It was no dream: I lay broad waking:

But all is turned, thorough my gentleness,

Into a strange fashion of forsaking;

And I have leave to go of her goodness,


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And she also to use newfangleness.

But since that I so kindly am served,

I would fain know what she hath deserved.

SUMMARY

Stanza-1

 The lyrical voice expresses feelings of abandonment as the beloved no


longer pays attention, marking a shift from past affection to present
neglect.

 The phrase “They flee from me” highlights the sudden end of
frequent visits that once characterized their relationship.

 The beloved, previously described as “gentle tame and meek,” has


transformed into a wild figure, indicating a drastic change in
character.

 A stark contrast is drawn between the past intimacy and the current
emotional distance in their relationship.

 The beloved is metaphorically compared to a deer, a common image


used by Petrarch, symbolizing vulnerability and closeness.

 The beloved has forgotten their past connection and is now depicted
as seeking sustenance elsewhere, emphasizing the sense of loss and
change.

Stanza-2

 The second stanza of "They Flee from Me" reflects on a past


relationship between the lyrical voice and the beloved one,
highlighting gratitude.

 The lyrical voice emphasizes the depth of their past connection by


stating it was "Twenty times better."

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 A specific memory is recalled where the beloved's gown slips off,
illustrating her seductive actions.

 The beloved actively seduces the lyrical voice, contrasting with the
current dynamic in their relationship.

 Vivid and intense descriptions convey the lyrical voice's fond


memories of those intimate moments.

 The tone shifts as the stanza concludes with playful words from the
beloved, portraying her as an enticing woman rather than a wild
animal.

Stanza-3

 The final stanza highlights a stark contrast between the joyful


memories of the past and the current state of the relationship with
the beloved one.
 The speaker insists that these happy recollections were real
experiences, not mere dreams, emphasizing their significance.
 A shift in tone occurs as the speaker reflects on how the relationship
has changed, describing it as a "strange fashion of forsaking."
 The speaker's mood darkens, comparing the past fondness to the
beloved's present indifference, feeling abandoned and hurt.
 In a sarcastic twist, the speaker blames himself for being too kind,
questioning what the beloved truly deserves, revealing feelings of
resentment and seeking empathy from the audience.

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