AQA A-level English Literature Love Through the
Ages
Detailed mind maps on pre-1900 poetry
• ‘Who so list to hount I knowe
• where is a hynde’
- Sir Thomas Wyatt
• Song (Ae fond kiss)
- Robert Burns
• She Walks in Beauty
- Lord Byron
• Sonnet 116
- William Shakespeare
• Remember
- Christina Rossetti
• The Flea
- John Donne
• The Runined Maid
• – Thomas Hady
• To His Coy Mistress
- Andrew Marvel
• At an Inn
- Thomas Hardy
- La Belle Dame sans Merci. A Ballad- John Keats
• A Song (Absent from thee)
- John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester
- The Scrutiny – Richard Lovelace
• No Sum Qualis Eram Bonae sub Regno Cynarae
- Ernest Dowson
• The Garden of Love
• - William Blake
, Structure:
Rhyme/Rhythm: •In Octaves Language:
• It follows the Petrarchan scheme of 14 lines and is mostly in •The repetition suggests the scale of his obsession • Semantic field of sexual violence
iambic pentameter (5 stressed feet per line), with some •Volta: Before we see the chase, after we see her described as • Consonance is used throughout,
inconsistencies. unattainable. It changes from excitement to almost a warning, daring • creating hard sounds to render the violence
• This represents his confusion as he pursues this woman. It other men. of the pursuit or the confusion surrounding
could also show that Wyatt has not yet perfected the iambic •Sestet (six rhyming lines). Rhyme scheme: this changes to create a it.
meter, as this was the first English sonnet. sense of finality • Alliteration and Assonance are used
• The Iambic pentameter could reflect how he is in control of the •The repetition shows the level of his obsession throughout the poem, extending the
women, but the cesura and enjambment show his physical •The first Octave in the past tense (“I was desolate”), whereas the final line, suggesting love is a hard and
separation from her. octave in the present tense (“I am desperate”), highlighting the tiring pursuit
• Rhyming couplet: this makes the note on the collar appear definite constant ongoing torment
• The rhyme scheme of ABBA in octaves emphasises the speakers
Imagery:
obbsesive pursuit of love, while the sestet rhyme scheme of CDDCEE
• The extended metaphor of the hunt is a
reinforces the theme of unrequited love
form of unrequited love
• He is boastful about how the hunt “wearied
‘Who so list to hount I so sore”
Context:
• Wyatt was a valued member of Henry VIII's
knowe • The imagery seems to confuse violence
with sexuality
inner circle where is an hynde’ • The “fair neck” could be a further
• Wyatt was rumoured to have had relations with
Anne Boleyn, and he was placed in the Tower
- Sir Thomas Wyatt reference to Anne as she was known for
her neck, as well as the “diamonds”
of London. This poem is seen to be about her
• The necklace “graven with diamonds”
highlighting how she is unattainable
could also be an indirect reference to Anne because of her wealth and status
Boleyn Key quotes:
• The poem was not published under Wyatt’s • “Sithens in a net I seke to hold the wynde” – Oxymoron, he wants to control the wind but knows
name. It was passed around the royal court her love is unattainable. Perhaps comparing her to the wind gives her the power that she is
with many other poems. It was only published untouchable.
with his name 15 years after his death, • “ Who list her hount, I put him owte of dowbte” - Volta present tense and becomes a warning now it's personal.
highlighting how Wyatt felt about animality Monosyllabic- suggests his pain, and the repetition shows his obsession.
and didn't care about credit. • “ And graven with Diamonds in letters plain” , the diamonds suggest how she is unavailable because of her
Form: wealth and status. The harsh verb has connotations of force but also finality as he has given up his pursuit.
A Petrarchan sonnet a combination of a • “ Noli me tangere for Cesars I ame And wylde for to hold though I seme tame.” The Latin highlights Wyatt's
direct translation and rewording of statements. 300 years after Caesar's death, they found white stags with collars that said said do not touch me,
Francesco Petrach’s Sonnet 190. Often Wyatt could be comparing Ceasure with Henry VIII and how he has control over Anne, emphasising the phatrical
about love and highlight mens suffering . rule. Moreover, it could be comparing women to Christ, as Jesus said, “ touch me not” to Mary Magdalene
after his resurrection, comparing women to something pure. “I seem tame” creates a contrast between women as
wild, deceitful, and controlled and submissive.
, Themes of ‘Who so list to hount I knowe
where is an hynde’
Agency, Gender and Control: Unrequited love:
• Gender roles reinforced: The poem does not • He presents a complex, ambivalent portrait of love
challenge societal gender roles; instead, it • Unrequited love: The speaker in "Whoso List to Hunt" is
reinforces them by portraying women as passive obsessed with pursuing his "hind" despite knowing it's futile.
and relegated to the status of animals or property. • Ambivalence of love: The speaker’s love is portrayed as a
• The woman's agency: Although the woman mix of frustration and pleasure; he finds satisfaction in the
refuses to be captured, upsetting the speaker's chase, even though it leads to failure.
expectations, her refusal may not be of her own • Obsession and frustration: The speaker acknowledges his
volition, as she might belong to a more powerful pursuit is "vain" and pointless, but he cannot stop thinking
man. about the woman, even though the task is like "catching the
• Power in refusal: Despite these constraints, the wind.” Although it seems to take pride in describing his
woman finds a measure of power in refusing to be suffering, implying that part of the thrill of love lies in the
caught, making the speaker give up the hunt. pursuit itself
• Overall: The poem suggests that women can never The thrill of the chase: The speaker may derive pleasure
be truly free; their limited agency comes only from the chase and the idea of wanting what he cannot have,
through male control or protection. which seems to be a key aspect of his emotional experience.
Focus on personal pain: The poem begins with the speaker reflecting on his own pain from parting with the beloved,
emphasising his hopelessness and despair.
Love and sacrifice: Despite his heartbreak, the speaker wishes for the beloved to find joy, peace, and love, even if it
means with another person.
No expectation of reciprocal love: The speaker does not ask for the same exclusive faithfulness from the beloved,
demonstrating his selflessness.
Ongoing devotion: While he will continue to suffer, the speaker does not wish the same suffering on her, prioritising her
happiness over his own desires.
Selfless love: The speaker’s wish for the beloved’s happiness, even at the cost of their relationship, highlights the
selflessness at the heart of true love
Ages
Detailed mind maps on pre-1900 poetry
• ‘Who so list to hount I knowe
• where is a hynde’
- Sir Thomas Wyatt
• Song (Ae fond kiss)
- Robert Burns
• She Walks in Beauty
- Lord Byron
• Sonnet 116
- William Shakespeare
• Remember
- Christina Rossetti
• The Flea
- John Donne
• The Runined Maid
• – Thomas Hady
• To His Coy Mistress
- Andrew Marvel
• At an Inn
- Thomas Hardy
- La Belle Dame sans Merci. A Ballad- John Keats
• A Song (Absent from thee)
- John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester
- The Scrutiny – Richard Lovelace
• No Sum Qualis Eram Bonae sub Regno Cynarae
- Ernest Dowson
• The Garden of Love
• - William Blake
, Structure:
Rhyme/Rhythm: •In Octaves Language:
• It follows the Petrarchan scheme of 14 lines and is mostly in •The repetition suggests the scale of his obsession • Semantic field of sexual violence
iambic pentameter (5 stressed feet per line), with some •Volta: Before we see the chase, after we see her described as • Consonance is used throughout,
inconsistencies. unattainable. It changes from excitement to almost a warning, daring • creating hard sounds to render the violence
• This represents his confusion as he pursues this woman. It other men. of the pursuit or the confusion surrounding
could also show that Wyatt has not yet perfected the iambic •Sestet (six rhyming lines). Rhyme scheme: this changes to create a it.
meter, as this was the first English sonnet. sense of finality • Alliteration and Assonance are used
• The Iambic pentameter could reflect how he is in control of the •The repetition shows the level of his obsession throughout the poem, extending the
women, but the cesura and enjambment show his physical •The first Octave in the past tense (“I was desolate”), whereas the final line, suggesting love is a hard and
separation from her. octave in the present tense (“I am desperate”), highlighting the tiring pursuit
• Rhyming couplet: this makes the note on the collar appear definite constant ongoing torment
• The rhyme scheme of ABBA in octaves emphasises the speakers
Imagery:
obbsesive pursuit of love, while the sestet rhyme scheme of CDDCEE
• The extended metaphor of the hunt is a
reinforces the theme of unrequited love
form of unrequited love
• He is boastful about how the hunt “wearied
‘Who so list to hount I so sore”
Context:
• Wyatt was a valued member of Henry VIII's
knowe • The imagery seems to confuse violence
with sexuality
inner circle where is an hynde’ • The “fair neck” could be a further
• Wyatt was rumoured to have had relations with
Anne Boleyn, and he was placed in the Tower
- Sir Thomas Wyatt reference to Anne as she was known for
her neck, as well as the “diamonds”
of London. This poem is seen to be about her
• The necklace “graven with diamonds”
highlighting how she is unattainable
could also be an indirect reference to Anne because of her wealth and status
Boleyn Key quotes:
• The poem was not published under Wyatt’s • “Sithens in a net I seke to hold the wynde” – Oxymoron, he wants to control the wind but knows
name. It was passed around the royal court her love is unattainable. Perhaps comparing her to the wind gives her the power that she is
with many other poems. It was only published untouchable.
with his name 15 years after his death, • “ Who list her hount, I put him owte of dowbte” - Volta present tense and becomes a warning now it's personal.
highlighting how Wyatt felt about animality Monosyllabic- suggests his pain, and the repetition shows his obsession.
and didn't care about credit. • “ And graven with Diamonds in letters plain” , the diamonds suggest how she is unavailable because of her
Form: wealth and status. The harsh verb has connotations of force but also finality as he has given up his pursuit.
A Petrarchan sonnet a combination of a • “ Noli me tangere for Cesars I ame And wylde for to hold though I seme tame.” The Latin highlights Wyatt's
direct translation and rewording of statements. 300 years after Caesar's death, they found white stags with collars that said said do not touch me,
Francesco Petrach’s Sonnet 190. Often Wyatt could be comparing Ceasure with Henry VIII and how he has control over Anne, emphasising the phatrical
about love and highlight mens suffering . rule. Moreover, it could be comparing women to Christ, as Jesus said, “ touch me not” to Mary Magdalene
after his resurrection, comparing women to something pure. “I seem tame” creates a contrast between women as
wild, deceitful, and controlled and submissive.
, Themes of ‘Who so list to hount I knowe
where is an hynde’
Agency, Gender and Control: Unrequited love:
• Gender roles reinforced: The poem does not • He presents a complex, ambivalent portrait of love
challenge societal gender roles; instead, it • Unrequited love: The speaker in "Whoso List to Hunt" is
reinforces them by portraying women as passive obsessed with pursuing his "hind" despite knowing it's futile.
and relegated to the status of animals or property. • Ambivalence of love: The speaker’s love is portrayed as a
• The woman's agency: Although the woman mix of frustration and pleasure; he finds satisfaction in the
refuses to be captured, upsetting the speaker's chase, even though it leads to failure.
expectations, her refusal may not be of her own • Obsession and frustration: The speaker acknowledges his
volition, as she might belong to a more powerful pursuit is "vain" and pointless, but he cannot stop thinking
man. about the woman, even though the task is like "catching the
• Power in refusal: Despite these constraints, the wind.” Although it seems to take pride in describing his
woman finds a measure of power in refusing to be suffering, implying that part of the thrill of love lies in the
caught, making the speaker give up the hunt. pursuit itself
• Overall: The poem suggests that women can never The thrill of the chase: The speaker may derive pleasure
be truly free; their limited agency comes only from the chase and the idea of wanting what he cannot have,
through male control or protection. which seems to be a key aspect of his emotional experience.
Focus on personal pain: The poem begins with the speaker reflecting on his own pain from parting with the beloved,
emphasising his hopelessness and despair.
Love and sacrifice: Despite his heartbreak, the speaker wishes for the beloved to find joy, peace, and love, even if it
means with another person.
No expectation of reciprocal love: The speaker does not ask for the same exclusive faithfulness from the beloved,
demonstrating his selflessness.
Ongoing devotion: While he will continue to suffer, the speaker does not wish the same suffering on her, prioritising her
happiness over his own desires.
Selfless love: The speaker’s wish for the beloved’s happiness, even at the cost of their relationship, highlights the
selflessness at the heart of true love
