Write a review of the poem Sir Thomas Wyatt, “The long love, that in my thought doth harbor 131”

Write a review of the poem Sir Thomas Wyatt, “The long love, that in my thought doth harbor 131”
Answer & Explanation
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Sir Thomas Wyatt’s “The long love, that in my thought doth harbor” is a sonnet that explores the speaker’s unrequited love for someone who seems beyond his reach. The poem is characterized by its melancholic tone and use of vivid imagery, which creates a sense of longing and despair.

The sonnet begins by describing the speaker’s love as a “long love” that has taken up residence in his thoughts. The use of the word “long” suggests that this love has been present for some time and has endured despite the speaker’s

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Step-by-step explanation
inability to act on it. The next line, “And in mine heart doth keep his mansion,” further emphasizes the idea of this love as a permanent fixture in the speaker’s life.

As the sonnet progresses, the speaker’s despair becomes more evident. He laments that his love is “so contrary to my will” and that he is “compelled to love where I cannot be.” These lines convey a sense of helplessness and resignation, as if the speaker has accepted that his love will never be returned.

The imagery in the poem is particularly striking, with the speaker comparing his love to a “ship, in tempest tossed” and a “haven in the hye.” These metaphors suggest that the speaker’s love is both tumultuous and a place of refuge, adding to the complexity of his emotions.

Overall, “The long love, that in my thought doth harbor” is a poignant exploration of unrequited love. Wyatt’s use of language and imagery effectively conveys the speaker’s sense of longing and despair, making this sonnet a powerful example of the Renaissance tradition of love poetry.

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