Introduction to the Poem: Forget Not Yet

“Forget Not Yet” is one of the most sincere and pathetic lyrics written by famous poet Thomas Wyatt. Wyatt was the first English poet to be daring enough to give truthfulness and true emotional expression in his songs and lyrics.

He brought lyrical poetry of the English language out of the hypocrisy and false traditionalism that had taken it into the realm of false manifestations of love and its antecedents. Wyatt made it a point to infuse in his love lyrics the true spirit of his personal emotions and feelings. He gave sincerity of passion and sentiments to English love poems and lyrics.

Critical Analysis

The lyric under discussion is no exception to the above-stated theory of lyricism adopted by Wyatt and, later on, by his successors. “Forget Not Yet” is, in fact, a true and sincere appeal of Wyatt to his beloved in which he makes the beloved belief through his pathetic renderings that she should, in no case, leave his time-tested love. He had gone through a number of ordeals in winning her attention and love. He had got her confidence and trust as a lover, not in one day or one night. It had been a long duration through which the poet had, patiently enough, shown his sincere emotions of the love for the beloved – continuously. So he is true if he appeals that his beloved should not turn down his pathetic appeal.

The poet claims that he had claimed the love of his beloved right from the beginnings of his time and he has not given his attention to any other quarter whatsoever. So it becomes a sort of his right to claim that love in the future as well. The beloved should not forget his trials and tribulations through which he had gone for winning over her love. He had to undergo much cruel and unjust behavior at the hands of the beloved for proving his sincere love. He had to bear many glances of hatred and many “scornful ways” in that course of time.

The poet also makes his beloved remember the long duration of his true love for her. For the long period, his mind had never “meant amiss” and never “gone astray”. It had always remained steadfast and devoted with whole-hearted sincerity. The poet also makes her remember that his love has already been attested. confirmed and approved by the beloved herself.