The Speaker

The speaker of the poem is someone, presumably a man, who mourns the fact that women are no longer interested in him. While scholars typically caution against equating a poem's speaker with the poet, most agree that Wyatt's poetry is largely autobiographical, nodding toward – in this case – his many relationships with noblewomen in King Henry VIII's court. The speaker of this poem is incredulous that women who used to show him so much affection are no longer interested and are even wandering away from him like formerly tame deer who have become wild. The speaker has also clearly been affected by an encounter with one woman in particular, whom he speaks about with reverence and escapism as he recalls an intimate moment between them. By the end of the poem, the speaker has accepted the women's behavior as natural but still wonders what will happen to the...