Sir Thomas Wyatt Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, are generally considered the inaugurators of the golden age of English poetry in the reign of Elizabeth I. Both men were educated in the humanistic tradition, and they early became familiar with the polished lyric poetry of the Italians and the French. They attempted to demonstrate in their own works that English, too, was a language flexible and elegant enough for court poetry. Skillful experimenters with metrics, they imitated a number of the verse forms popular on the Continent, including the sonnet. Many of the lyrics of both poets are based upon the Petrarchan conventions of the cruel, scornful lady and her forlorn, rejected lover; a number of the sonnets are, in fact, either translations or close adaptations of Petrarch’s works. Wyatt often conveys a strong sense of personal emotion in his works, even in those which are translated from the Italian and full of the conventional poses of the sonneteer. In several of the sonnets the power comes from abruptly stated paradoxes.

My galley My galley charged with forgetfulness Through sharp seas in winter nights doth pass 'Twene rock and rock; and eke mine enemy, alas That is my lord, steerth with cruelness And every oar a thought in readiness As though that death were light in such a case; An endless wind doth tear the sail apace Of forced sighs and trusty fearfulness A rain of tears, a cloud of dark disdain Hath done the wearied cords great hindrance Wreathed with error and eke with ignorance. The stars be hid that led me to this pain, Drowned is reason that should me comfort, And I remain despairing of the port.

Galley A large, usually single-decked medieval ship of shallow draft, propelled by sails and oars and used as a merchant ship or warship in the Mediterranean. Doth : does ‘Tween: between Eke: supplement, increase En’my: enemy Alas: to express sorrow or grief Steereth: steer: To guide a vessel or vehicle. Cruelness:to inflict violence, pain, or hardship, or to find satisfaction in the suffering of others apace: At a rapid pace; swiftly. Disdain: contempt, despite, scorncontemptdespitescorn Hath: has hinderance - something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress Wreathed: To twist or entwine into a wreath Ignorance: lack of knowledge Hid: hide

The critical analysis of the poem critical-analysis-of-the-sonnet-by-Sir-Thom

Summary: Analyzes Wyatt's poem, "My Galley Charged With Forgetfulness." Explores the use of metaphor and imagery. Examines the tone of desolation. Wyatt's My Galley Charged with Forgetfulness relies heavily on metaphor and imagery. Through intimation of such literary devices, as well as language and tone, Wyatts suggests, through the metaphor of the galley's course, that life is meant to run an intentioned course with purpose. Through the course of the poem unfolds a strong sense of despair in the realization that such purpose is lost; it is not there. The poem is laden with tones of desolation. In the beginning there are images painting toil and frustration "thorough sharp seas in winter nights." However, there comes a realization that this is not the cause of the speaker's dejection. The impressions of loss and misery are not due to the experience of suffering, but rather that the suffering experienced has no meaning or purpose. At the end of the poem are the strongest portrayals of frustration and unhappiness, as the speaker concludes that there is no way out of this predicament. He is as trapped by this fate as a man is trapped when lost out in the middle of the sea. The words "the stars be hid" also sounds as if the reasons are actively concealed him his knowledge by device, and reveals a voice of aggravation and disappointment. Throughout the poem there is a theme of inescapable fate reinforced by the metaphor of the galley at sea. The metaphor of the ship's lord being the master of the speaker and decider of fate gives the speaker an object toward which to project his sorrow. There are multiple points where the speaker blames this problem he has on the lord of his galley, that he Hath done the wearied cords great hindrance, Wreathed with error and eke with ignorance. This lord depicted is cruel, is incompetent, and has ruined the cords of the ship as well as the course of the speaker's life. The idea is that the speaker feels things are not the way they are supposed to be. As the cords of a ship control the sails, the cords that tie the speaker's life together are strained and coming apart from the traveling. While he does not like how or where his life is going, he has no say in this matter. The metaphor is enforced with language suggesting that he has been robbed of something that belonged to him, or that he has suffered a loss and is grieving. There is a heavy sense of bereavement. The lack of consolation also comes in that the reason for suffering is lost to him because "Drowned is reason that should me consort." The word "consort" also verbalizes a sense that in having no accompaniment, the speaker is walking through life alone. It appropriately aligns with the seafaring metaphor.

At the same time that he is protesting this injustice with a strong sense of resentment, never does he address his lord--the one he blames. The lord of the galley works as a metaphor for a divine figure, perhaps God, fate, or whatever sovereign, indisputable, outside force that controls his every circumstance. The speaker's resignation to this fate and state of despair without question, demand, or even hope for anything more suggests an understanding and acceptance of a force of undeniable sovereignty. The rhyme scheme of the poem also supports the conceit because while the lines are configured out of obvious design, the pattern is not one that is particularly common. It follows a format of a-b-b-a-a-c-c-a-d-e-e-d-f-f. This sort of flow parallels the conceit of the poem, reflecting the speaker's view of his life. The words are not just a random mess, sporadic and spontaneous, yet they also are still not quite predictable. Life flows by a purposed design, but not one that can be predicted or expected. Likewise, there is not a specific meter to the poem, but each line still maintains a very close number of feet. It is structured, but not in a way that can be measured and counted upon. This device also keeps the pace of the poem even, and the length of the lines serve to make the read more story-like, as well as portray a settled, quiet tone. Wyatt's use of repeating sounds--particularly sentences ending with the "s" sound--recur throughout the poem in emphasis of this conceit. The "s" at the end draws out the reading of the line, reflecting the sense of the on-going journey as well as the drudgery. It's also a soft consonant, giving it a quiet air. This is not a raging poem; it is a poem of quiet disappointed resentment and accepted sorrow. It also brings to mind the hiss of a candle going out, keeping with the theme of this poem and reiterating the transience of the journey of life. The overall matter culminates precisely as the speaker says in closing: "despairing of the port." The heavy use of nautical imagery reiterates the movement of the poem. This use of a nautical metaphor further reveals the specific sense of the speaker's journey through life. It is heavy with depictions of the sea and its storms, as well as objects involved with seafaring, bringing the reader into the feeling the speaker has of being lost at sea. It is an air of total isolation.

Your analysis might include the following topics. 1. Rhyme scheme 2. Tone 3. Meaning 4. Effect on reader 5. Metaphorical meaning