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What is the explanation of Wyatt's poem "Forget Not Yet"?
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Thomas Wyatt's poem "Forget Not Yet" reflects his unrequited love, likely for Anne Boleyn. The poem's refrain urges his beloved not to forget his unwavering devotion, despite her commitment to another. Wyatt portrays his pursuit as exhausting and unreciprocated, highlighting his steadfast faithfulness. The poem emphasizes remembrance of their shared history and his enduring love, despite the relationship's challenges.
Supposedly, this is a sonnet written about Thomas Wyatt's failed suit for the hand of Anne Boleyn—who, of course, was to marry King Henry VIII and, later, was beheaded on his orders. The poet repeats the refrain "forget not yet," prevailing upon his beloved—who is now promised to another man—not to forget how true he has been in his attentions to her.
Wyatt depicts his pursuit of the beloved as an endeavor: it is a "travail" and it has made him "weary" to continue in this "suit" and "service." He also feels he has not been treated correctly in his pursuit—he has made "great assays" and has maintained a high level of patience even while his beloved has denied him even any closure—she has not said either yes or no, but has allowed him to continue trying to pursue her, while she herself has behaved rather scornfully towards the suitor....
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She has not understood, seemingly, that he truly loved her, has done so for a long time, and has never thought of anyone else—his mind has never gone "amiss."
In the final quatrain, the speaker describes his own love for his beloved as a "steadfast faith," as one might describe faith in God. He is saying that he has loved her purely and for a long time, never thinking about anyone else. Although he now knows that he can never have her, the speaker is prevailing upon his beloved never to forget how dedicated the speaker has been to her for all this time.
One must always understand that any summary provided for a poem relies upon the reader's personal interpretation of the poem. What this means is most answers regarding poetry are answered subjectively.
Thomas Wyatt's poem "Forget Not Yet" was typical of his other poetry which dealt with the theme of love. Here, Wyatt wishes that his love will not forget the things which seemed to be etched in his own heart.
It seems that the relationship has come to a rocky point. Wyatt is reminding his love of the things in their life together which created and kept their love strong, to this point.
Strangely, at the end of the poem, Wyatt changes what he asks of his love. Instead of telling his love to "forget not yet" he tells her "forget not this."
Therefore, the movement of the poem is one of remembrance. Wyatt wishes his love to remember the good times and the bad times, the length of time they have been together, and the faithful love they share. Regardless of the past, he wishes that his love never forget the lengthy love they share. By ending the poem in this fashion, the length of their love is of the utmost importance and Wyatt hopes is contains the same importance for his love.
How can one interpret Sir Thomas Wyatt's poem "Forget Not Yet The Tried Intent"?
"Forget Not Yet" is a poem that is based around the desire of the speaker to commend himself to his lover as he talks about the many hardships he has faced and the sufferings he has endured to enable to recommend himself to her:
Forget not yet the great assays,
The cruel wrongs, the scornful ways,
The painful patience in denays
Forget not yet.
It appears from the pleading tone that runs throughout the poem that the speaker is trying to remonstrate with his lover and to try and encourage her to not dismiss him or end their relationship. The repetition of the phrase "Forget not yet" at the start and end of each stanza form a kind of refrain as the speaker fills the content of each stanza with proof of his devotion and love for his beloved and reasons why she should not "forget" the strength and depth of his love for her. The final stanza in particular demonstrates his most powerful argument:
Forget not yet thine own approved,
The which so long hath thee so loved,
Whose steadfast faith yet never moved,
Forget not this.
The change of the wording of the final line to "Forget not this" shows how this is the last gambit of the speaker, focusing his beloved's mind on the depth of his affection for her and the constancy of his affection for her.