Renaissance

Era
1300 - 1500
‘rebirth’
 renaissance era

Ben Jonson (1572-1637) Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542)

 Renaissance
the revival of European art and literature under the
influence of classical models in the 14th–16th centuries

Black Death Humanism

Farewell, thou child of my right hand, and joy;
My sinne was too much hope of thee, lov’d boy,
Seven yeeres thou’wert lent to me, and I thee pay,
Exacted by thy fate, on the just day.
O, could I lose all father, now. For why
Will man lament the fate he should envíe?
To have so soon scap’d worlds, and fleshes rage,
And, if no other miserie, yet age?
Rest in soft peace, and, ask’d, say here doth lye
BEN. IONSON his best piece of poetrie.
For whose sake, hence-forth, all his vowes be such,
As what he loves may never like too much.
 11th June 1572 Benjamin Jonson

Contemporary of
6th August 1637
Getting Shakespeare

London
to know England’s First Poet
the Laureate

Every Man in His poet.

King James I
Humour

Volpone, The Alchemist,

Bartholomew Fair
Tribe of Ben

First to publish works

Satirical comedy
as formal folio

To Celia Family of five

 About the poem…

A father who tried to distance himself from such grieve which is

brought upon him due to the loss of his son by implying that death of
his son is mainly a transaction in which he had no control over and
justifying that the dead son actually had the better end of it.
 Theme

Black Death Humanism

Farewell, thou child of my right hand, and joy;
My sinne was too much hope of thee, lov’d boy,
Seven yeeres thou’wert lent to me, and I thee pay,
Exacted by thy fate, on the just day.
O, could I lose all father, now. For why
Will man lament the fate he should envíe?
To have so soon scap’d worlds, and fleshes rage,
And, if no other miserie, yet age?
Rest in soft peace, and, ask’d, say here doth lye
BEN. IONSON his best piece of poetrie.
For whose sake, hence-forth, all his vowes be such,
As what he loves may never like too much.
Metaphor
a) Seven yeeres thou’wert lent to me, and I thee pay,

b) My sinne was too much hope of thee, lov’d boy,

Imagery- organic
Apostrophe
Farewell, thou child of my right hand, and joy; O, could I lose all father, now. For why
Will man lament the fate he should envíe?

Symbolism
Rest in soft peace, and, ask’d, say here doth lye
BEN. IONSON his best piece of poetrie.
 Renaissance era

Ben Jonson (1572-1637) Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542)

 : Issues

• The Renaissance embraces a series of religious, economic, and

political changes which ripple into areas of science, literature,
and philosophy

• Renaissance in Western European history marks a break or

transition from the Medieval period and leads toward our modern
era.

In 1536, Henry VIII declared England's independence from

Rome. This event was very significant on this era - Act of
Supremacy (1534)

• Tudor family - life at the Tudor royal court was tough and
competitive, with back-stabbers lurking round every corner,
 SIR THOMAS
WYATT
• Was born in Allington Castle, Kent, England
• Father of the English Sonnet
• Introduces sonnet into English literature .
• His literary output consists of translations and imitations of sonnets
by the Italian poet Petrarch

• His work helped to illuminate the scandal, danger, trials and

tribulations of court life in the sixteenth century
• An English politician , ambassador to France and Italy for King
Henry VIII and lyric poet
• Rumoured to have an affair with King Henry VIII wife, Anne
Boleyn.
• Imprisoned in the Tower of London but was released a year after
 Innocentia
Veritas Viat
Fides
Circumdederunt
me inimici mei:
” My enemies surround my

innocent, truthful, faithful soul ”

It’s based on Psalm 16.9 ( Bible) and adds Wyatt’s name between

innocence, truth and faith

ACTIVITY 1

BROKEN TELEPHONE !
circa Regna tonat

“it thunders around the realm

(throne) ”

Latin language
 Innocentia Veritas Viat Fides
Circumdederunt me inimici mei:
Who list his wealth and ease retain,
Himself let him unknown contain.
Press not too fast in at that gate
Where the return stands by disdain,
For sure, circa Regna tonat.
The high mountains are blasted oft
When the low valley is mild and soft.
Fortune with Health stands at debate.
The fall is grievous from aloft.
And sure, circa Regna tonat.
by Sir Thomas Wyatt
These bloody days have broken my heart.
My lust, my youth did them depart,
And blind desire of estate.
Who hastes to climb seeks to revert.
Of truth, circa Regna tonat.
The bell tower showed me such sight
That in my head sticks day and night.
There did I learn out of a grate,
For all favour, glory, or might,
That yet circa Regna tonat.
By proof, I say, there did I
learn:
Wit helpeth not defence too
yerne,
Of innocency to plead or
prate.
Bear low, therefore, give God
the stern,
For sure, circa Regna tonat.
• In 1536, Wyatt was
imprisoned in the Tower of
London due to his quarrel with
Duke of Suffolk & being under
suspicion of having affair with
Anne Boleyn , the second wife
of King Henry VIII.
• Anne Boleyn was executed in
Tower of London because of
her act of treason and
adultery.
• Wyatt witnessed the execution
from a small window in the cell
inside the Tower of London .
• Wyatt described his devastated
feelings and trauma on the
Explanation • He learnt a painful lesson
and political trauma as the
OF THE POEM member of Tudor court under
the tyrannyical reign of Henry
VIII.
• Witnessing the tragedy from
window's prison taught him
that the world is full of
uncertainity.
•
• Neither favour,power nor
wealth will secure him. Not
even him innocence or
intelligence will help at
certain situation. Wyatt put
his trust to God.
 who is
anne boleyn ?

• The second wife of King • Rumoured to have a

Henry VIII , served as romantic connection
the Queen of England with Thomas Wyatt
King Henry was
Extremely pretty desperate for a male heir
and he blamed Anne for
and attractive
this misfortune.

Was executed on false

• Biological mother charges of incest,
of Queen witchcraft, adultery and
Elizabeth I conspiracy against the
king.
 Main points

Describes his view from

the cell

Expressing his opinion on the life

becoming member of court under
the reign of King Henry

Witnessing the execution and

express his broken heart

He claimed that
his innocent days are
over
 FYI . . .
1. King Henry asked church to
annul his marriage with the First
Queen so he can get married to
Anne Boleyn

2. The pope refused his request

and excommunicate him

3. King Henry broke Church of

England from Rome, he became
the head of church instead.

4. Able to marry Anne Boleyn.

THE EXECUTION
SCENE
• The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
- film

• House of Tudor (2007) - TV

series

• https://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=ZZ4ArpxymWQ
 Theme

• The precarious(unsecured) nature

of court life under the reign of a
tyrannical king - Henry the Eighth

• Lamenting on his sufferings after

witnessing the tragic death of his
lover.
 Structure/form
• Elegy - focus on the emotional
experience of the poet
• 5 stanzas , 5 lines for each stanza
• A quintet , five lines .

• Have a refrain (a line or stanza that

repeats throughout the poem)
• 'circa Regna tonat'
 Diction
• Biblical reference for title of the poem - ” My enemies surround
my innocent, truthful, faithful soul ” - Based on Psalm 16:9 and adds
Wyatt’s name between innocence, truth and faith

• Believe in God existence - “ ...give God the stern”

• Religion plays an important part in poet's life

• Repetition of the words “circa Regna tonat” on each stanza

which means “It thunders around the throne”.

• This emphasizes whatever happens you cannot do anything to defy

the king's decree. This shows how powerful and influential the king
was during that time. Wyatt is being submissive.

• Taken from Seneca’s Phaedra play .The first two stanzas of the poem
paraphrase lines from that play.

• Using archaic words such as yerne and helpeth

 Figurative language

• “ Fortune with Health stands at debate” -

symbolism/personification
• referring to the poet's description of Anne
Boleyn ?
• “ The fall is grievous from aloft - symbolism
the fallen of the poet's career (imprisoned)

• “The blind desire of estate” - personification

• “These bloody days have broken my heart” -
hyperbole
 Imagery

“Press not too fast in at that gate” -

kinaestatic
“Where the return stands by disdain”
- organic
“The high mountain are blasted oft,
When the the low valley is mild and
soft” - visual
“The bell tower showed me such at
sight” - visual
 Tone & Rhyme

• Sorrowful and apologetic

• Alternate rhyme - AABAB

Who list his wealth and ease retain, A

Himself let him unknown contain. A

Press not too fast in at that gate B

Where the return stands by disdain, A

For sure, circa Regna tonat. B

END SLIDE
thank you !

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