Sir Thomas Wyatt
(1503-1542)
Sir Thomas Wyatt was born in 1503 in the Allington Castle, located in Kent, England. He was raised by his mother Anne Skinner and his father Henry Wyatt. Wyatt was a 16th century English politician who attended St. John’s College where he furthered his education in literature. Wyatt is well known for being a lyric poet and also for bringing the sonnet into English literature. Wyatt met his beloved, Elizabeth Brooke at St. John’s College and they eloped in 1520. Wyatt and Elizabeth had two children together but shortly after they eloped they separated and did not make-up until around 1541. Sir Thomas Wyatt was a lot of things, one in being an ambassador to Italy and France for King Henry VIII. As we know, Wyatt was admired for his language skills, however his first duty was to serve King Henry VIII, and keep up with his jewels in 1524. By doing these duties for the king, Wyatt established a role for himself to the king and this is where his role as an ambassador for Rome and France began. At this same time, Wyatt crossed paths with Anne Boleyn, who was soon to be the king’s wife. In a few of Wyatt’s poems especially, “Whoso List to Hunt”, Wyatt seems to be Anne Boleyn’s lover; although we can not accurately determine the state that their relationship reached. Sir Thomas Wyatt was accused of being one of Boleyn’s lovers and was arrested, however only spending one month imprisoned. He restored his relations with King Henry VIII, and is now imprisoned to serving him in offices of England and other rigorous tasks for as long as he lives. Sir Thomas Wyatt suffered from an illness and was pronounced dead on October 11th 1542.
Interesting Facts
- Wyatt’s cause of death was from a severe fever
- He earned credit for introducing the sonnet to English literature
- Ninety-six of his songs were in Songs and Sonnetts, in 1557
“I leave off therefore,
Since in a net I seek to hold the wind.”
-Sir Thomas Wyatt
Works Cited
“Sir Thomas Wyatt, MP.” geni_family_tree, 17 June 2017, www.geni.com/people/Sir-Thomas-Wyatt-MP/6000000003702860714.
“Sir Thomas Wyatt.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/thomas-wyatt.
“The Death of Sir Thomas Wyatt.” The Tudor Enthusiast, thetudorenthusiast.weebly.com/my-tudor-blog/the-death-of-sir-thomas-wyatt.
“Thomas Wyatt.” Poets.org, Academy of American Poets, 24 Apr. 2014, www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/thomas-wyatt.
“Thomas Wyatt > Quotes.” Thomas Wyatt Quotes (Author of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the Complete Poems), www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/623141.Thomas_Wyatt.