18/1/07 - English Literature - Wyatt and Surrey

The first half of the 16th century has not been widely studied, but Wyatt and Surrey are important figures of this time.

"Henry Earl of Surrey and Sir Thomas Wyatt, between whom I find very little difference, I repute them for the two chief lanterns of light to all others that have since employed their pens upon English poesy. Their conceits were lofty, their styles stately, their conveyance cleanly, their terms proper, their metre sweet and well proportioned, in all imitating very naturally and studiously their master Francis Petrarch."
[George Puttenham, The Arte of English Poesie, c. 1565-70 (published 1589)]

Puttenham praises Wyatt and Surrey. However, he was biased because he was attempting to make a name for himself in the courts; Wyatt and Surrey are courtiers.

Wyatt was the inventor of a new sonnet form. Surrey was the inventor of iambic pentameter.

Wyatt came first; Surrey claimed that Wyatt was his poetic father. Surrey translated the Aeneid into iambic pentameter, trying to create a sense of poetry as the centre of naturality. He was executed aged 30 for treason.

Both poets were well aware of the dangers of court.
They did not publish their poems at the time because writing was not seen as a way of living, but was meant only to entertain groups of friends privately. Their audiences were therefore familiar, close audiences who knew the subject of the poems.

Wyatt considered court life and private life to be separate. He thought himself unfitting for court because he was not deceitful.

"The passions of the thought make eche manner of life that is offred them conformable & like to them self/not vnot them that haue chosen the best lyf custome maketh it nat plesaunt/as some say/but rather wisdom maketh the best life to be also most plesant. Therefore the well of surete of the minde/springing in our self/let vs assay to make most pure & clere/that those thinges that gyue vs foren thinges & chaunceable/we may make mete & according/in suffring with gret vprightnesse of the mynde."
[Wyatt, The Queyte of Mynde, a translation of Plutarch]

The last line of the poem contrasts the busy court life with the quiet life of the mind. Wyatt says that happy people are those who are strong enough of mind to deal with the trials of life. Despite seeing such benefits of court exile, he expresses some frustration of lack of independence and of stimulation, indicating that he regrets his banishment.

In Whoso list to hunt, Wyatt tries and fails to end the pursuit of his lover, but is disillusioned; he can't have her because she belongs to Caesar. Petrarch's deer has been freed by Caesar; Wyatt's has been claimed by him. In Wyatt's poetry, court life and love often come into conflict.

The finality of the message in Whoso list to hunt is emphasised by the rhyming couplet and final lines: abba, cddc, effe, gg.

Surrey's poems differ in structure and content.

Love, that doth raine and life within my though,
And buylt his seat within my captyve brest,
Clad in the armes wherin with me he fowght
Oft in my face he doth his banner rest.
But she that tawght me love and suffre pain,
My doubtfull hope and eke my hote desire
With shamfast looke to shadoo and refrayne,
Her smyling grace convertyth straight to yre.
And cowarde love than to the hert apace
Taketh his flight where he doth lorke and playne
His purpose lost, and dare not show his face.
For my lordes gylt thus fawtless byde I payine;
Yet from my lorde shall not my foot remove.
Sweet is the death that taketh end by love.
[Surrey, translation of Petrarch's Rime 140]

Both poets have said that love often looks apparent in their face, that their lady is angry and that love hides.

Wyatt changed the sonnet form to three quatrains and a couplet to end, but the octave remains untouched. Surrey ends each quatrain with a different rhyme. It is a sensible change to make because of the difficulty with using the same rhyme many times. Notice the iambic pentameter. Surrey studied unrhymed classical meter, where the focus is on long and short syllables rather than stressed and unstressed syllables. Surrey introduced this into his poetry. Enjambment is used on lines about flight, which was discouraged at the time in favour of using each line as a complete statement. Peter Scupham stated that iambic pentameter was difficult for scholars not the write because it flows so naturally.

Surrey personifies love; Wyatt shows inwardness and uncertainty, and interacts with love. "Heart" residence indicates he is inside himself. He uses battle imagery. His rhyming couplet is not a true rhyme as the last line is a complete statement and has the effect of being less conclusive than Surrey's.

This difference is also reflected in their translations of David's Psalms.

Mye flesshe is troubled, me hart doth feare the speare;
That dread of death, of death that ever lasts,
Threateth of right and draweth neare and neare.
Moche more my sowle if trowbled by the blastes
Of thise assawltes, that come as thick as hayle,
Of owrldlye vanytie, that temptacion castes
Agaynst the weyke bulwarke of the flesshe frayle.
[Wyatt, 'Penitential Psalms', II. 100-6]

O lord thow knowst the inward contemplation
Off my desire, thou knowest my syghes and plaints
Thow knowst the teres of my lamentation
Can not expresse my hertes inward restraints.
My hart pantyth, my force I fele it quaile.
My syght, myn lyes, my lok dekays and fayntes.
And when myn enmys did me most assayle,
My frendes most sure, wherein I sett most trust,
Myn own vertus, sonest then did ffaile,
And stoud apart, reson and witt vniust,
As kyn vnkynd were fardest gone at need.
So had thei place theire venim owt to thrust
That sowght my deth by nowghty word and dede.
[Wyatt, 'Penitential Psalms', II. 358-70]

Oh Lorde, uppon whose will dependeth my welfare,
To call uppon thy hollye name syns daye nor night I spare,
Graunt that the just request of this repentaunt mynd
So perce thyne eares that in thy sight som favour it may find.
My soule is frughted full with greif of follies past;
My restles bodye doth consume and death approcheth fast.
[Surrey, imitation of Psalm 88]

When recheles youth in an unquiet brest,
Set on by wrath, revenge and crueltye,
After long warr pacyens had opprest,
And justice wrought by pryncelye equitie;
My Deny, then myne errour, depe imprest,
Began to worke dispaire of libertye,
Had not David, the perfyt warriour, tought
That of my fault thus pardon shold be sought.
[Surrey, proem to Psalm 88]

In Wyatt's poem, the soul fears its own inconsistency as well as external forces. Surrey's translations are more political works. By "Lorde" he could mean God or Henry VIII. In his proem he admits wrongfulness, but only in order to achieve a result.

Surrey's poetry is about politics and dignity and the public. Wyatt is inclined to talk about and to be artificial. He is concerned about what appears to be and what truly is. He can be political and critical of the court, particularly relating to falsehood. Both poets probably shared references and associations with their friends.

The contrast between the public and the private explored in both the poets' work gave later poets a reference of the courts, to new ways of thinking and new ways of talking about courts.