Thomas Wyatt (poet)
Sir Thomas Wyatt entered the world at Allington Castle near Maidstone in Kent during 1503. His family traced their roots back to Yorkshire before settling in the south of England. They had chosen the Lancastrian side during the Wars of the Roses, a political stance that shaped his early life. His father Henry served as a Privy Councillor under King Henry VII and remained trusted when Henry VIII took the throne in 1509. Richard III had previously imprisoned and tortured Henry for his loyalty to the opposing faction. Wyatt's mother was Anne Skinner, daughter of John Skinner from Reigate in Surrey. He grew up with a brother named Henry who died as an infant and a sister Margaret who later married Sir Anthony Lee.
Wyatt stood over six feet tall and possessed both handsomeness and physical strength that made him suitable for court life. In 1515 he began studying at St John's College while entering Henry's service as Sewer Extraordinary. His father had worked alongside Sir Thomas Boleyn as constable of Norwich Castle which gave young Wyatt acquaintance with Anne Boleyn. A diplomatic mission to Spain in 1526 led him to accompany Sir John Russell to Rome. The pair traveled there to petition Pope Clement VII regarding the annulment of Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon. When Russell became incapacitated Wyatt continued negotiations with the Republic of Venice alone. Some accounts claim he was captured by Emperor Charles V's armies during their capture of Rome in 1527 but escaped back to England. From 1528 until 1530 he served as high marshal at Calais before returning to royal duties.
Wyatt professed his object was to experiment with the English language and civilise it to match European standards. He took subject matter from Petrarchan sonnets yet employed significantly different rhyme schemes than the Italian original. Petrarch used an octave rhyming abba abba followed by a sestet with various patterns. Wyatt kept the Petrarchan octave but utilized cddc ee for his most common sestet scheme. He experimented with rondeau epigrams terza rima ottava rima songs and satires throughout his career. His introduction of poulter's measure created rhyming couplets composed of a twelve-syllable iambic line followed by a fourteen-syllable iambic line. Critics like C.S. Lewis described his work as full of resentment where the poet never goes out of himself regarding how badly his mistress treated him. The ninety-six love poems appeared posthumously in Tottel's Miscellany printed in 1557 fifteen years after his death. These thirty-one sonnets represented the first written in English though they showed stiffness indicative of difficulty finding the new form.
Many have conjectured that Wyatt fell in love with Anne Boleyn during the early to mid-1520s though their romantic relationship remains uncertain. George Gilfillan implied they were romantically involved citing lines where Wyatt calls his mistress Anna. Sometime I fled the fire that me brent by hills by dales by water and by wind. In May 1536 Wyatt was imprisoned in the Tower of London for allegedly committing adultery with Anne Boleyn. He witnessed Anne Boleyn's execution from his cell window on the 19th of May 1536 along with five men accused of her adultery. He wrote a poem which might have been inspired by that experience before being released later that year thanks to Thomas Cromwell. Around 1537 he had an affair with Elizabeth Darrell who bore him three sons. A story from his grandson George Wyatt claimed Thomas obtained a jewel belonging to Anne which Henry VIII recognized when playing bowls with him. The details seem incompatible with courtly behaviour and remain unconvincing to modern historians.
The Egerton Manuscript contains Wyatt's personal selection preserving one hundred twenty-three texts partly in his own handwriting. Tottel's Miscellany created his posthumous reputation by ascribing ninety-six poems to him including thirty-three not found in the Egerton Manuscript. These one hundred fifty-six poems can be ascribed to Wyatt with certainty based on objective evidence. Another one hundred twenty-nine poems were attributed purely through subjective editorial judgment derived from the Devonshire Manuscript Collection. Kenneth Muir added scores of poems from anonymous sources in several editions between 1949 and 1963. Joost Daalder produced an edition in Oxford during 1975 attempting to renovate the canon to accord with documentary facts. Richard Harrier published The Canon of Sir Thomas Wyatt's Poetry at Harvard University Press in 1975 establishing a fact-based canon. His research demonstrated that one hundred one of the two hundred eighty-five poems included in later editions are not Wyatt's work. Helen Baron studied Mary Howard Fitzroy's hand in the Devonshire Manuscript while Jason Powell confirmed outlines of Harrier's analysis in 2009.
By 1540 Wyatt was again in the king's favour after being granted the site and many manorial estates of dissolved Boxley Abbey. He faced treason charges once more in 1541 which were lifted only thanks to Queen Catherine Howard's intervention. The condition required him to reconcile with his wife Elizabeth Brooke whom he had separated from years earlier due to adultery grounds. A full pardon restored him to duties as ambassador before Catherine Howard's execution sparked rumors about his wife becoming Henry VIII's next wife. He became ill shortly thereafter and died on the 11th of October 1542 around age thirty-nine. He is buried in Sherborne Abbey where a memorial stands today. His legitimate son Sir Thomas Wyatt the Younger led a thwarted rebellion against Mary I for which he was executed decades later. The rebellion aimed to place Protestant-minded Elizabeth on the throne. Wyatt remains an ancestor of Wallis Simpson wife of Edward VIII and great-grandfather of Virginia Colony governor Sir Francis Wyatt.
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Common questions
Where and when was Sir Thomas Wyatt born?
Sir Thomas Wyatt entered the world at Allington Castle near Maidstone in Kent during 1503. His family traced their roots back to Yorkshire before settling in the south of England.
What diplomatic missions did Sir Thomas Wyatt undertake for Henry VIII?
A diplomatic mission to Spain in 1526 led him to accompany Sir John Russell to Rome. The pair traveled there to petition Pope Clement VII regarding the annulment of Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon. When Russell became incapacitated Wyatt continued negotiations with the Republic of Venice alone.
How did Sir Thomas Wyatt influence English poetry and rhyme schemes?
Wyatt professed his object was to experiment with the English language and civilise it to match European standards. He took subject matter from Petrarchan sonnets yet employed significantly different rhyme schemes than the Italian original. His introduction of poulter's measure created rhyming couplets composed of a twelve-syllable iambic line followed by a fourteen-syllable iambic line.
Why was Sir Thomas Wyatt imprisoned in May 1536?
In May 1536 Wyatt was imprisoned in the Tower of London for allegedly committing adultery with Anne Boleyn. He witnessed Anne Boleyn's execution from his cell window on the 19th of May 1536 along with five men accused of her adultery.
Which manuscripts contain the verified works of Sir Thomas Wyatt?
The Egerton Manuscript contains Wyatt's personal selection preserving one hundred twenty-three texts partly in his own handwriting. Tottel's Miscellany created his posthumous reputation by ascribing ninety-six poems to him including thirty-three not found in the Egerton Manuscript. These one hundred fifty-six poems can be ascribed to Wyatt with certainty based on objective evidence.
When did Sir Thomas Wyatt die and where is he buried?
He became ill shortly thereafter and died on the 11th of October 1542 around age thirty-nine. He is buried in Sherborne Abbey where a memorial stands today.