Wyatt, "They flee from me."
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Lecture Topics:- Wyatt's take on Petrarchan love
- Puns and connotations
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1 They flee from me, that sometime did me seek
2 With naked foot stalking in my chamber.
3 I have seen them gentle, tame, and meek
4 That now are wild and do not remember,
5 That sometime they put themself in danger
6 To take bread at my hand; and now they range,
7 Busily seeking with a continual change.
8 Thanked be fortune it hath been otherwise
9 Twenty times better; but once in special,
10 In thin array, after a pleasant guise,
11 When her loose gown from her shoulders did fall,
12 And she me caught in her arms long and small,
13 Therewithal sweetly did me kiss
14 And softly said, 'Dear heart, how like you this?'
15 It was no dream, I lay broad waking.
16 But all is turned thorough my gentleness,
17 Into a strange fashion of forsaking;
18 And I have leave to go, of her goodness,
19 And she also to use newfangleness.
20 But since that I so kindely am served:
21 I fain would know what she hath deserved.
2: "stalking": — walking softly (But the modern meaning is also suggested.)
5: "sometime": — The word suggests "continually" or "repeatedly."
10: "thin array": — light and elegant clothing | "after a pleasant guise": — in a pleasing manner, with a pleasing appearance
12: "small": — slender
13: "Therewithal": — with that
16: "thorough": — through, because of | gentleness: gentleness; manners of a gentleman
19: "newfangleness": — fickleness
20: "kindely": — naturally (as in "that kind of person"); kindly
21: "I fain would know": — I would very much like to know