Analysis of Whoso List to Hunt
Sir Thomas Wyatt 1503 (Allington Castle, Kent) – 1542 (Clifton Maybank House, Dorset)
Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind,
But as for me, helas! I may no more.
The vain travail hath worried me so sore,
I am of them that furthest come behind.
Yet may I by no means, my worried mind
Draw from the deer; but as she fleeth afore
Fainting I follow. I leave off therefore,
Since in a net I seek to hold the wind.
Who list her hunt, I put him out of doubt,
As well as I, may spend his time in vain;
And graven in diamonds in letters plain
There is written, her fair neck round about,
"Noli me tangere, for Caesar's I am,
And wild to hold, though I seem tame."
Scheme | ABBAABBACDDCEF |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1111111111 111111111 0101110111 1111110101 1111111101 110111111 101101111 1001111101 1101111111 1111111101 0100100101 1110011101 11111011 01111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 594 |
Words | 136 |
Sentences | 7 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 14 |
Lines Amount | 14 |
Letters per line (avg) | 31 |
Words per line (avg) | 9 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 430 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 120 |
About this poem
"Whoso List to Hunt" is a poignant exploration of love, desire, and the challenges of pursuing the unattainable. Through the metaphor of the hunt, Wyatt crafts a complex narrative that combines courtly love conventions with personal and political undertones. The poem's emotional depth and intricate imagery contribute to its enduring appeal.
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"Whoso List to Hunt" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/35430/whoso-list-to-hunt>.
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