Topic > Poetry In The Poetry Of Wyatt's Poetry - 2017

Guss, on the contrary, claims that “his imitations depart from Petrarch mainly in denouncing the lady, in claiming sexual reward and in introducing derogatory descriptions of female beauty and of rural charm.” To some extent, it can be assumed that Guss is right, particularly when he talks about poems like "They Flee from Me." Ostriker also seems to agree with Guss only to a certain extent, claiming that “not once, in all his lyrics, does he praise a woman. He describes a lady on only three occasions. This suggests that Wyatt's interest is not so much in the woman's beauty, but in her manners and person. This is often shown by Wyatt as a revealing final couplet, as in "They flee from me", as the speaker proclaims "But since he was served so kindly / I would know what he deserved". (LXXX, ll. 20-21) These final lines demonstrate the real anger and bitterness the speaker feels towards his late lady, indicated by his use of the word “deserved,” as if she deserves to be punished for the way he treated him. Furthermore, the fact that he suggests that he has been "kindly" served his purpose not only once again suggests the kindness of the lady, but also implies that she behaves in this way only in accordance with his "kindness", the female . Thus, despite “clamoring” for sexual reward, Wyatt also appears to demonstrate women for their sexual nature, leaving his interlocutors in a frustrated position. A similar frustration is depicted in “I can't find peace,” as the speaker says