Monday 30 March 2015

Thomas Wyatt's "They Flee From Me That Sometime Did Me Seek": Rhetorical Analysis

They flee from me that sometime did me seek,
With naked foot stalking in my chamber. '
This is a case of Metaphor .The women have been here compared to predatory animals through their prey is not ordinary food but sexual flood.

--It is also a case of Hyperbaton since the word order in ‘did me seek’ has been changed from the usual one .
'That sometime they put themselves in danger
To take bread at my hand; and now they range
Busily seeking with a continual change. '

--- This is a case of Metaphor since the amorous women have been here compared to birds while the poet himself has been compared to the feeder . The comparisons are left in explicit .

'There with all sweetly did me kiss,
And softly said, "Dear heart, how like you this?" '

This is a case of Hyperbaton since the normal word order in the question should have been ‘how do you like this?’

It is also a case of Paronomasia . Heart may stands not only for human organ but also for its homophone ‘heart on male dear’.



It is also a case of synecdoche (part for the whole) since the ‘heart’ stands for the lover.

'But since that I so kindly am served,
I would fain know what she hath deserved. '

It is a case of verbal irony . Although the poet uses the word ‘kindly’ meaning appropriately . The tone of the poet as well as his description of the woman’s poet activity makes it quite clear that he means the exact apposite .

This is also a case of Hyperbaton since the normal word order should have been ‘ I am so kindly served’ .



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