Context

• One of the first sonnet's written in English
• Concentrates on the pursuit of unrequited love
• The poem adopts a Petrarchan sonnet form the first seen utilised by an English writer. This form was created by Francisco Petrarch in the 14th century.
• It was written during a time of political turmoil for England in the early 1600s the British Civil War occured. The government led by Charles I faced the Parliament led by Oliver Cromwell. it was a case of Royalists vs Parliamentarians.
• 14 line sonnet, 8 lines octave, 6 lines sestet, Rhyme scheme follows ABBAABBA CDDC EE - Iambic pentameter and ends in a rhyming couplet.
• Written in the Renaissance period where courtly love put women on pedestals and glorified amorous passion.
• AO5: In courtly love, Eleanor of Aquitaine believes "The women is the dominant figure, the man a pupil who must be instructed before he becomes a fit partner for his lady"
• Although this glorifies women and worships them - it is arguably objectifying them by placing them on a pedestal for their beauty
• The lover is hard to obtain, and the man must prove his valour and faithfulness
• Wyatt was a diplomat of Henry VIII, this gave him a very powerful position. He followed his father's footsteps this way. He was reponsible for many important diplomatic decisions as a member of the King's service.
• Poets often time used conceit and allegorical metaphors to protect their position and status as this time of political turmoil.
• Wyatt wanted to civilise the English language that was one of the last countries to adopt the Petrarchan sonnet. He was a linguistic experimentar and hoped he would raise the country's power status through using archaic language.
• Wyatt uses a conceit - effectively an extended metaphor - where the sport of hunting deer is likened to courting an unattainable women.
• The poem was written in the renaissance period: A period where there was a rebirth of the classical period. It was also written in a time of political turmoil, where the Catholic church was soon to be declared banned in 1559, hence Wyatt published the poem without his name on it to avoid provoking further anger from King Henry VIII. The poem also uses old archaic English to relate to the aims of the renaissance period to revoke classical elements into literature.
• Courtly love put women on pedestals and glorified amorous passion.
• Love poetry often alluded to the courtship of woman as a battlefield for men, the surrender of the female and the victory of the male in winning his female prize through heroic acts. Whoso is often depicted like a battle of war where the male regularly faces adversity in his pursuit of attaining courtly love.
• Whoso is partly a translation of the latin poem "Sonnet 190" by Francesco Petrach - This shows to us that these feelings of courtly love will synonymously be experienced across time
• His poems were circulated around the court anonymously and the only time his poetry was published with his name on it was 15 years after his death.
• Many poems of the time created conceits and extended metaphors at the time in the 1600s of political turmoil to protect their status and position.
• It is suspected that the poem is based on and alludes to an affair Wyatt had with Anne Boleyn, which the poet was imprisoned for in May 1536. He was released late that year for his father's friendship with Thomas Cromwell and was allowed to go back to his original duties.
• He was deeply influential in establishing personal form poetry that detailed experiences that the writer had encountered.