Wyatt, Sir Thomas, 1503–42, English poet and statesman

Wyatt, Sir Thomas, 1503–42, English poet and statesman, father of Sir Thomas Wyatt. He served in various capacities under Henry VIII and was knighted in 1536. It is generally agreed he had been the lover of Anne Boleyn before her marriage to the king. Greatly influenced by the works of the Italian love poets, Wyatt produced the first group of sonnets in English, modeled chiefly after Petrarch. Besides sonnets, he wrote lyrics, rondeaus, satires, and a paraphrase of the penitential psalms. None of his poems appeared in his lifetime. Ninety-six, however, were published in Tottel's Miscellany (1557), an important early anthology.

Bibliography

See his collected poems edited by K. Muir (1949).

Wyatt, Sir Thomas, c.1520–54, English soldier and conspirator

Wyatt, Sir Thomas, c.1520–54, English soldier and conspirator; son of the poet Sir Thomas Wyatt. In Jan., 1554, when Queen Mary's intention to marry Philip II of Spain was announced, Wyatt joined a planned insurrection against the queen. His allies in other parts of the country were arrested or dispersed, but Wyatt raised a small army in Kent. Troops were sent against him at Rochester, but most of them deserted to Wyatt's side. He set out for London and arrived early in February, but defections and the loyalty of Londoners to Queen Mary prevented him from capturing her and taking the city. He surrendered and was executed as a traitor. It was supposed by many that Princess Elizabeth was involved, but Wyatt's last statement exonerated her.

Wyatt, Sir Thomas

Wyatt also spelled Wyat

(born 1503, Allington, near Maidstone, Kent, Eng.—died Oct. 6, 1542, Sherborne, Dorset) English poet. A member of the court circle of Henry VIII, he was apparently admired for his skill in music, languages, and arms. He served a number of diplomatic missions, but his reputation rests on his poetic achievements, especially his introduction into English literature of the Italian sonnet and terza rima verse form and the French rondeau. His works, unusual for their time in carrying a strong sense of individuality, include Certayne Psalmes …drawen into Englyshe meter (1549), three satires, and songs.