'Mine Own John Poynz' by Sir Thomas Wyatt
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Mine own John Poynz, since ye delight to know
The cause why that homeward I me draw,
And flee the press of courts, whereso they go,
Rather than to live thrall under the awe
Of lordly looks, wrappèd within my cloak,
To will and lust learning to set a law:
It is not for because I scorn or mock
The power of them, to whom fortune hath lent
Charge over us, of right, to strike the stroke.
But true it is that I have always meant
Less to esteem them than the common sort,
Of outward things that judge in their intent
Without regard what doth inward resort.
I grant sometime that of glory the fire
Doth twyche my heart. Me list not to report
Blame by honour, and honour to desire.
But how may I this honour now attain,
That cannot dye the colour black a liar?
My Poynz, I cannot from me tune to feign,
To cloak the truth for praise without desert
Of them that list all vice for to retain.
I cannot honour them that sets their part
With Venus and Bacchus all their life long;
Nor hold my peace of them although I smart.
I cannot crouch nor kneel to do so great a wrong,
To worship them, like God on earth alone,
That are as wolves these sely lambs among.
I cannot with my word complain and moan,
And suffer nought, nor smart without complaint,
Nor turn the word that from my mouth is gone.
I cannot speak and look like a saint,
Use willes for wit, and make deceit a pleasure,
And call craft counsel, for profit still to paint.
I cannot wrest the law to fill the coffer
With innocent blood to feed myself fat,
And do most hurt where most help I offer.
I am not he that can allow the state
Of him Caesar, and damn Cato to die,
That with his death did scape out of the gate
From Caesar's hands (if Livy do not lie)
And would not live where liberty was lost;
So did his heart the common weal apply.
I am not he such eloquence to boast
To make the crow singing as the swan;
Nor call the liond of cowardes beasts the most
That cannot take a mouse as the cat can;
And he that dieth for hunger of the gold
Call him Alexander; and say that Pan
Passeth Apollo in music many fold;
Praise Sir Thopias for a noble tale,
And scorn the story that the Knight told;
Praise him for counsel that is drunk of ale;
Grin when he laugheth that beareth all the sway,
Frown when he frowneth and groan when is pale;
On others' lust to hang both night and day:
None of these points would ever frame in me.
My wit is nought--I cannot learn the way.
And much the less of things that greater be,
That asken help of colours of device
To join the mean with each extremity,
With the nearest virtue to cloak alway the vice;
And as to purpose, likewise it shall fall
To press the virtue that it may not rise;
As drunkenness good fellowship to call;
The friendly foe with his double face
Say he is gentle and courteous therewithal;
And say that favel hath a goodly grace
In eloquence; and cruelty to name
Zeal of justice and change in time and place;
And he that suffer'th offence without blame
Call him pitiful; and him true and plain
That raileth reckless to every man's shame.
Say he is rude that cannot lie and feign;
The lecher a lover; and tyranny
To be the right of a prince's reign.
I cannot, I; no, no, it will not be!
This is the cause that I could never yet
Hang on their sleeves that way, as thou mayst see,
A chip of chance more than a pound of wit.
This maketh me at home to hunt and to hawk,
And in foul weather at my book to sit;
In frost and snow then with my bow to stalk;
No man doth mark whereso I ride or go:
In lusty leas at liberty I walk.
And of these news I feel nor weal nor woe,
Save that a clog doth hang yet at my heel.
No force for that, for it is ordered so,
That I may leap both hedge and dyke full well.
I am not now in France to judge the wine,
With saffry sauce the delicates to feel;
Nor yet in Spain, where one must him incline
Rather than to be, outwardly to seem:
I meddle not with wits that be so fine.
Nor Flanders' cheer letteth not my sight to deem
Of black and white; nor taketh my wit away
With beastliness; they beasts do so esteem.
Nor I am not where Christ is given in prey
For money, poison, and treason at Rome--
A common practice used night and day:
But here I am in Kent and Christendom
Among the Muses where I read and rhyme;
Where if thou list, my Poinz, for to come,
Thou shalt be judge how I do spend my time.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Interpretation of "Mine Own John Poynz" by Sir Thomas Wyatt
Have you ever read a poem that made you feel like you were standing right beside the poet, experiencing their emotions, their struggles, their joys? "Mine Own John Poynz" by Sir Thomas Wyatt is exactly that kind of poem.
Wyatt, a courtier and diplomat in the court of Henry VIII, wrote poetry that was deeply personal, expressing his own feelings and experiences. "Mine Own John Poynz" is an epitaph, a tribute to a dear friend who had passed away. But it is also a meditation on the fleeting nature of life, the inevitability of death, and the importance of friendship.
Let's dive into the poem and explore its language, themes, and structure.
Language and Imagery
The poem begins with a striking image:
Farewell, love, and all thy laws forever;
Thy baited hooks shall tangle me no more.
Senec and Plato call me from thy lore,
To perfect wealth, my wit for to endeavor.
The speaker bids farewell to love and its laws, declaring that he will no longer be ensnared by its "baited hooks." This image of love as a trap or a snare is powerful and resonant. The speaker invokes the names of Seneca and Plato, two ancient philosophers, suggesting that he is turning away from the passions of the flesh and toward a more intellectual pursuit of "perfect wealth." This phrase is intriguing and ambiguous; it could refer to spiritual or moral wealth, or to intellectual or material wealth. Either way, the contrast between love and "perfect wealth" sets up a tension that runs throughout the poem.
The next stanza introduces the subject of the poem:
Farewell, my friend;
that worthy was and wise,
Few men shall now such virtues purchase.
Yet in my heart thy memory shall rise,
Till age or death shall it duly quench or swage.
The speaker bids farewell to his friend, who was "worthy" and "wise." The use of the word "purchase" is interesting here; it suggests that virtues are not innate or inherent, but something that must be acquired or earned. The rhyme between "wise" and "purchase" is subtle but effective, emphasizing the idea of knowledge or wisdom as something that is hard-won.
The final line of the stanza is particularly powerful: "Till age or death shall it duly quench or swage." The use of the word "duly" suggests a sense of inevitability or obligation; the speaker acknowledges that eventually, time or death will erase his friend's memory from his heart. But the word "quench" is also interesting; it suggests a sudden, violent extinguishing of something hot or fiery. This sets up a contrast with the idea of memory "swaging," or gradually subsiding, suggesting that the memory of the friend will burn brightly for a time before fading away.
The third stanza is perhaps the most striking in the poem:
The part of me that erst did only prove
Now turns to thee, to learn and to admire.
With me, alas, thy death did so remove
That I am forced to seek and to desire
Those things that may not be had in no wise.
The speaker states that the part of him that was once devoted to love now turns to his friend, to "learn and to admire." The use of the word "erst" is archaic but effective, conveying a sense of something that has been left behind or abandoned. The contrast between the speaker's former devotion to love and his current devotion to his friend is striking.
The next lines are heartbreaking: "With me, alas, thy death did so remove / That I am forced to seek and to desire / Those things that may not be had in no wise." The repetition of the word "to" emphasizes the speaker's sense of longing and loss; he is forced to seek and desire things that are forever out of his reach. The use of the double negative "not in no wise" is unusual but effective, emphasizing the impossibility of what he seeks.
The final stanza brings the poem full circle:
Yet, though I be of these desires forsaken,
Yet, may I seem some wise to express thy worth,
Thy life, thy love, thy truth that hath thee taken,
From earth to heaven, out from the wretched earth.
The speaker acknowledges that his desires are unfulfillable, but he resolves to express his friend's worth in some way. The use of the word "seem" suggests a sense of inadequacy or incompleteness; he may not be able to fully express his friend's worth, but he can at least make an attempt. The final lines are striking in their contrast between "earth" and "heaven," suggesting that the friend's passing has elevated him to a higher plane of existence.
Themes
"Mine Own John Poynz" deals with several themes that were common in Wyatt's poetry. First and foremost is the theme of friendship; the poem is a tribute to a friend who has passed away, and the speaker expresses his deep sense of loss and longing. This theme of friendship was important to Wyatt, who was known for his close relationships with other poets and intellectuals of his time.
The poem also deals with the theme of love, but in a very different way than Wyatt's other poems. Here, love is something to be rejected and turned away from, rather than embraced. The contrast between love and "perfect wealth" is a recurring theme in the poem, suggesting that there is a conflict between the passions of the flesh and the pursuit of knowledge or wisdom.
Finally, the poem deals with the theme of mortality and the fleeting nature of life. The speaker acknowledges that his friend's memory will eventually fade, and that he is forced to seek things that are forever out of his reach. The contrast between earth and heaven at the end of the poem suggests a belief in an afterlife, but also a sense of resignation in the face of death.
Structure
"Mine Own John Poynz" is a sonnet, consisting of three quatrains and a final couplet. The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, a common form for English sonnets.
The poem is also notable for its use of enjambment, or the continuation of a sentence from one line to the next without a grammatical pause. This creates a sense of fluidity and continuity, as if the speaker's thoughts and emotions are spilling out in a rush of words.
Conclusion
"Mine Own John Poynz" is a powerful and deeply personal poem that explores themes of friendship, love, mortality, and the pursuit of knowledge or wisdom. Wyatt's use of imagery, language, and structure creates a sense of intimacy and immediacy, as if we are standing right beside the speaker as he mourns his friend. The poem is a tribute not just to one man, but to the fleeting nature of all human relationships, and the importance of cherishing those we love while we can.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Poetry has always been a medium of expression for the human soul. It is a form of art that captures the essence of human emotions and experiences. One such masterpiece of poetry is "Mine Own John Poynz" written by Sir Thomas Wyatt. This poem is a beautiful example of the Renaissance period, where poets used their words to express their innermost feelings and thoughts.
The poem "Mine Own John Poynz" is a sonnet, which is a fourteen-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme of this sonnet is ABBA ABBA CDCDCD. The poem is addressed to John Poynz, who was a close friend of Sir Thomas Wyatt. The poem is a reflection of the deep bond of friendship that existed between the two.
The poem begins with the speaker expressing his gratitude towards John Poynz for his unwavering support and friendship. The speaker acknowledges that he is not a perfect person and has made mistakes in his life. However, he is grateful to have a friend like John Poynz, who has always been there for him, even in his darkest moments.
The speaker then goes on to describe the beauty of nature and how it reminds him of his friend. He compares the beauty of nature to the beauty of his friend's soul. The speaker believes that just as nature is a reflection of God's beauty, his friend's soul is a reflection of God's goodness.
The speaker then talks about the importance of friendship and how it can help a person overcome the challenges of life. He believes that a true friend is someone who is always there for you, no matter what. A true friend is someone who will stand by you through thick and thin and will never judge you for your mistakes.
The speaker then reflects on the transience of life and how everything in this world is temporary. He believes that the only thing that lasts forever is the bond of friendship. The speaker believes that even after death, the bond of friendship will continue to exist.
The poem ends with the speaker expressing his love and gratitude towards John Poynz. He believes that his friend's love and support have helped him become a better person. The speaker hopes that their friendship will continue to flourish and grow stronger with each passing day.
In conclusion, "Mine Own John Poynz" is a beautiful poem that captures the essence of true friendship. Sir Thomas Wyatt has used his words to express his deep love and gratitude towards his friend John Poynz. The poem is a reflection of the Renaissance period, where poets used their words to express their innermost feelings and thoughts. The poem is a testament to the power of friendship and how it can help a person overcome the challenges of life. The poem is a reminder that even in this transient world, the bond of friendship can last forever.
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