Whoso List to Hunt, I Know where is an Hind By Sir Thomas Wyatt 1503–1542

Whoso List to Hunt, I Know where is an Hind What do we understand from the title of the poem?

Whoso List to Hunt, I Know where is an Hind Whoever female deer wants/ wishes Whoso List to Hunt, I Know where is an Hind What do we understand from the title of the poem?

Whoso List to Hunt, I Know where is an Hind Whoever female deer wants/ wishes Whoso List to Hunt, I Know where is an Hind Alternative title: "The Lover Despairing to Attain Unto His Lady's Grace Relinquisheth the Pursuit." What do we understand from the title of the poem?

Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind, But as for me, hélas, I may no more. The vain travail hath wearied me so sore, I am of them that farthest cometh behind. Yet may I by no means my wearied mind Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth afore Fainting I follow. I leave off therefore, Sithens in a net I seek to hold the wind. Who list her hunt, I put him out of doubt, As well as I may spend his time in vain. And graven with diamonds in letters plain There is written, her fair neck round about: Noli me tangere, for Caesar's I am, And wild for to hold, though I seem tame.

AO3: Context

Friday, May 19, 1536 Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, was executed. Her husband, King Henry VIII, claimed she had been unfaithful with at least five different men. In reality, her ‘crime’ was that she had failed to produce a male heir and the King had already moved his attention to one of her ladies-in-waiting, Jane Seymour. Amongst those arrested on charges of adultery with the Queen, was Sir Thomas Wyatt, a previous suitor of Anne’s. It was rumoured he had been in love with her but was ousted from her affections by the King. He was later released without charge, thanks to his friendship with Thomas Cromwell. He is thought to have witnessed Anne’s execution from his cell. “The bell tower showed me such a sight That in my head sticks day and night.”

1503–1542 Introduced the sonnet into the English language Sir Thomas Wyatt Thomas Wyatt was a member of King Henry VIII’s court, acting as an ambassador to the King. He was over six feet tall, reportedly both handsome and physically strong. He was married, but unhappily, and was rumoured to have been romantically involved with Anne Boleyn, until 1524 when King Henry sent him abroad. Sometime after, he separated from his wife. Wyatt said his aim as a poet was to experiment with the English tongue, in a time when it was thought brutish and clumsy. A significant amount of his literary output consists of translations and imitations of sonnets by the Italian poet Petrarch; he also wrote sonnets of his own, experimenting with form and structure. He was the first to write sonnets in English, influencing his successor, Shakespeare. He is also one of the originators of the convention in love poetry according to which the mistress is painted as hard-hearted and cruel. None of Wyatt’s poems were published during his lifetime – the first book to feature any of his verse was published 15 years after his death and the poem we’re studying didn’t appear in public until much later.

What could all this have to do with a hunt?

Hunting in medieval times was a sport exclusively for royalty and the aristocracy. The elaborate rituals of the hunt were an integral part of court etiquette, and skill in hunting was regarded as the peacetime equivalent of prowess in chivalric wars. Hunting scenes were common subjects in medieval and Renaissance art. The excitement of the hunt was also captured in a special type of song in which the voices of the two singers seem to chase one another. These types of song were written from the man's point of view and were sung by men.  Hunting became an accepted metaphor for the elaborate rituals of courtship and courtly love, with the woman represented by the deer.

Why a deer? In Greek mythology, the deer is a very significant animal. The goddess Diana (or Artemis) is often accompanied by a deer, representing her status as the goddess of hunting and of virginity. The followers of Diana were virgins. Deer were, therefore, seen as a symbol of innocence and purity. Diana, however, is a powerful goddess: Acteon, a hunter, stumbled across Diana when she was bathing in a spring. Infuriated that he had seen her naked form, she turned him into a deer – his own hounds track him down and tear him to pieces. She is therefore also seen as a symbol of dangerous sexuality. We’ll come back to this…

AO2: Language

Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind, But as for me, hélas, I may no more. ‘Alas!’ What is the poet saying here? What might this be a metaphor for? What is the significance of the word ‘hélas’? What about ‘I may no more’? AO3: remember the context information about hunting as a metaphor for courtship, and about the goddess Diana. Why is this significant? What might Wyatt be suggesting about the ‘hind’ he may no longer hunt?

The vain travail hath wearied me so sore, ‘in vain’ = failure/ pointless ‘travail’ = work/ task The vain travail hath wearied me so sore, I am of them that farthest cometh behind. What is the poet saying here? How is the metaphor of hunting extended? What is the significance of the words ‘wearied’ and ‘so sore’? AO3: in Tudor times, people used to hunt in groups. The speaker is saying he has chosen to be in the group that comes last. This group was unlikely to have any success hunting. Why is this significant?

Yet may I by no means my wearied mind Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth afore Fainting I follow. ahead What is the poet saying here? Look at the word order in these lines. ‘may I’ and ‘draw’ are on separate lines and ‘wearied mind’ has been moved forward: alternate version = “yet I by no means may draw my wearied mind from the deer”. The enjambment of these lines creates suspense, with the verbs placed on the line below. We must wait to find out what the action is. Why do you think the poet does this? Note the repetition of the word ‘may’. What is its significance here? Repetition of ‘may’ = he may not hunt but he also can’t keep his eyes off her. Juxtaposition linked by repetition.

Sithens in a net I seek to hold the wind. A repetition of the idea of quitting hunting and the reason for this-- I leave off therefore, Sithens in a net I seek to hold the wind. since hunting tool What is the poet saying here? What other metaphor is introduced here?

Who list her hunt, I put him out of doubt, As well as I may spend his time in vain. ‘Just like me’ What is the poet saying here? The speaker almost repeats the poem’s first lines, here. What differences are there and why are these significant? Differences: who not whoso and her not to – this is more specific, more personal. A singular hunter, a specific hind. He has someone specific in mind.

And graven with diamonds in letters plain engraved clear And graven with diamonds in letters plain There is written, her fair neck round about: Noli me tangere, for Caesar's I am, And wild for to hold, though I seem tame. What is the poet saying here? What might ‘her fair neck round about’ refer to? Latin for ‘Touch me not!’ AO3: Caesar was a well-used metaphor or term for anyone of power similar to a Roman emperor. A title, rather than a person. Who might be Caesar in this situation? AO3: In John 20:17, Jesus says “Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my father.” Is Wyatt suggesting that the deer is holy or sacred? How might this fit with the AO3 information we have already been given? Holy – Anne Boleyn’s marriage vows were sacred to god as well as Henry. Reformation etc. Fair neck – her execution AO3: In older times, you could be killed for hunting the King’s deer (think about Robin Hood!) so the warning is serious.

AO2: Imagery

The hunt/ the chase Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind, Alliteration reinforcing pace and sounds of a hunt Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind, But as for me, hélas, I may no more. The vain travail hath wearied me so sore, I am of them that farthest cometh behind. Yet may I by no means my wearied mind Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth afore Fainting I follow. I leave off therefore, Sithens in a net I seek to hold the wind. Who list her hunt, I put him out of doubt, As well as I may spend his time in vain. And graven with diamonds in letters plain There is written, her fair neck round about: Noli me tangere, for Caesar's I am, And wild for to hold, though I seem tame. Flight as a metaphor for the fact she is not to be touched Alliteration reinforcing sense of exhaustion and/or sound of the wind Juxtaposition of wild/tame – who does this remind you of? Wildness extends the metaphor of her status: she is not meant to be caught; she is dangerous

AO2: Form / Structure

Can you identify the rhyme scheme? Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind, But as for me, hélas, I may no more. The vain travail hath wearied me so sore, I am of them that farthest cometh behind. Yet may I by no means my wearied mind Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth afore Fainting I follow. I leave off therefore, Sithens in a net I seek to hold the wind. Who list her hunt, I put him out of doubt, As well as I may spend his time in vain. And graven with diamonds in letters plain There is written, her fair neck round about: Noli me tangere, for Caesar's I am, And wild for to hold, though I seem tame. Can you identify the rhyme scheme?

Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind, A But as for me, hélas, I may no more. B The vain travail hath wearied me so sore, B I am of them that farthest cometh behind. A Yet may I by no means my wearied mind A Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth afore B Fainting I follow. I leave off therefore, B Sithens in a net I seek to hold the wind. A Who list her hunt, I put him out of doubt, C As well as I may spend his time in vain. D And graven with diamonds in letters plain D There is written, her fair neck round about: C Noli me tangere, for Caesar's I am, E And wild for to hold, though I seem tame. E

This is a sonnet. Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind, But as for me, hélas, I may no more. The vain travail hath wearied me so sore, I am of them that farthest cometh behind. Yet may I by no means my wearied mind 5 Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth afore Fainting I follow. I leave off therefore, Sithens in a net I seek to hold the wind. Who list her hunt, I put him out of doubt, As well as I may spend his time in vain. 10 And graven with diamonds in letters plain There is written, her fair neck round about: Noli me tangere, for Caesar's I am, And wild for to hold, though I seem tame. Typically, a sonnet is made up of two parts: an octet (the first eight lines) and a sestet (the last six). Here, the rhyme scheme reinforces that idea, with the first eight lines linked together. Traditionally, a sonnet offers a problem in the octet and a solution in the sestet; sometimes, the change between the two is a simple shift in mood or tone. This shift happens in line nine and is known as a ‘volta’ (or ‘turn’). What shift occurs in line nine in this poem?

Meter The meter of the poem = the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables per line e.g. iambic pentameter How many times this happens in one line (how many ‘feet’ per line) (pentameter = 5 times) The type of ‘foot’ (specific sequence of syllables) referring to stressed/unstressed sounds (iambic = an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable: i-AM)

BUT Let’s take a closer look at Line 7. This sonnet is written in iambic pentameter. Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind, But as for me, hélas, I may no more. The vain travail hath wearied me so sore, I am of them that farthest cometh behind. Yet may I by no means my wearied mind Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth afore Fainting I follow. I leave off therefore, Sithens in a net I seek to hold the wind. Who list her hunt, I put him out of doubt, As well as I may spend his time in vain. And graven with diamonds in letters plain There is written, her fair neck round about: Noli me tangere, for Caesar's I am, And wild for to hold, though I seem tame. BUT Let’s take a closer look at Line 7.

Fainting |I follow. | I leave off | therefore, A stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable: TRO-chee Trochee Trochee Fainting |I follow. | I leave off | therefore, iamb spondee A stressed syllable followed by another stressed syllable: SPON-DEE

Fainting |I follow. | I leave off | therefore, Another emphasis, the reason he is giving up will follow-- The stressed syllable at the start emphasises the point that he is fainting Trochee Trochee Fainting |I follow. | I leave off | therefore, iamb spondee The regular meter here could echo his surrender– he ‘follows’ ‘I leave off’ becomes very loud or ‘heavy’, emphasising his decision to stop hunting

AO4/5: Links and Interpretations

Petrarch's Sonnet 190   A white doe on the green grass appeared to me, with two golden horns, between two rivers, in the shade of a laurel, when the sun was rising in an unripe season. Her look was so sweet and proud that to follow her I left every task, like the miser who as he seeks treasure sweetens his trouble with delight. "Let no one touch me," she bore written with diamonds and topazes around her lovely neck. "It has pleased my Caesar to make me free." And the sun had already turned at midday; my eyes were tired by looking but not sated, when I fell into the water, and she disappeared. What similarities and differences can you see? How are they significant? Is Wyatt’s poem a simple reworking or is it something more?

“In some cases, Wyatt's poems are so filled with verifiable historical data that connects the speaker to them that it is almost impossible that they did not mean the poem to be read as an expression of their own thoughts and feelings.  Even so, poems are not affadavits sworn on oath.  They are works of art.  Turning life into literary art always re-presents the life elements within the conventions and inventions of literature.” -- A. Sanders How can this quotation be related to ‘Whoso List to Hunt…’?

AO1: What kind of love is presented in this poem? Think about: The characteristics of love The representation of the people involved The feelings of the speaker Any imagery or language used The way the structure and form reflects this You can either: Write a side of A4 to explain your answer. Write a detailed plan of your answer. Make sure you include and analyse quotations from the text.

Fill in your CLIFS sheet for this poem Fill in your CLIFS sheet for this poem. Remember, this will be a revision aid!