Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503–42) was an English poet, diplomat, and courtier, credited with introducing the sonnet to English literature. His works explore love, political intrigue, and personal reflection, making him a key figure in the English Renaissance.
Born at Allington Castle, Kent, Wyatt studied at St John’s College-Cambridge, before entering King Henry VIII’s service. As a court diplomat, he undertook missions to France, Spain, and Italy, where he encountered Petrarchan poetry, shaping his verse.
Wyatt’s poetry, circulated in manuscript, appeared in Tottel’s Miscellany (1557,) including sonnets, epigrams, and satires. Notable works include Whoso List to Hunt, believed to reference Anne Boleyn; They Flee from Me, exploring courtly love and betrayal; and My Lute, Awake!, reflecting disillusionment. His political career was turbulent—imprisoned in the Tower of London (1536, 1541) due to ties with Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell, though later released.
His translations of Petrarch’s sonnets introduced Italian poetic forms to England, influencing poets like Edmund Spenser and William Shakespeare.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Thomas Wyatt
The longer the life the more the offense, the more the offense the more the pain, the more the pain the less defense and the less defense the less the gain.
—Thomas Wyatt
Topics: Pain, Defense
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