A comparison of the themes of Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard

A detailed Summary of A comparison of the themes of Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard

Both Henry Howard and Thomas Wyatt made significant contributions towards the

development of English literature during the reign of King Henry VIII. Through their

translations of Petrarchs' work, these men were responsible for introducing sonnet form

into English. "Both Wyatt and Surrey helped to change the nature of English

poetry,"(textbook, p.187). They both traveled to Italy and borrowed, as well as imitated

other poets and each other. Instead of originating fresh themes, they repeated

conventional subject matter, mainly focusing on idealized love. Works from both poets

had similar themes of confusion, sadness, and reflection.

Both Howard and Wyatt have translated sonnets, written by Petrarch. In these poems,

the speaker loves a lady, but she will not permit him to declare his love (textbook, p.192).

Wyatt's translation is called "The Long Love" and is a insightful representation of the

poet's dual observation of love. Wyatt shows two sides of love, physical and spiritual,

but never a bond between them. He shows his confusion in line 11, "And there him

hideth and not appeareth," wondering why he should hide his lov

influences, mainly Petrarch, and the fact that they were the only ones to read each others'

elder of the two, Howard's works seem to flow more freely. They both focus mainly on

theme in both poets' works. Their drive is fueled by previous experiences and their

Flee From Me," he remembers the loves of his past, telling a story of a man who once

in nature, but none of them can comfort him. "And thus I see among these pleasant

Approximate Word count = 825
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

join now Save Paper

Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

"Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
Jack M.
"With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
Brian P.
"I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
Sara J.
"I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
Rachel W.
"I love this site!!!"
Marie N.