Thomas Wyatt

Forget not yet

Forget not yet the tried intent
Of such a truth as I have meant;
My great travail so gladly spent,

Repeated refrain structure

Each stanza ends with 'Forget not yet!' - this is a rhetorical technique called an anaphora, creating musical repetition and emotional intensity.

Forget not yet!
Forget not yet when first began
The weary life ye know, since when

Courtly love language

'Weary life' and 'service' are technical terms from medieval courtship, suggesting a complex romantic pursuit.

The suit, the service, none tell can;

Repeated refrain structure

Each stanza ends with 'Forget not yet!' - this is a rhetorical technique called an anaphora, creating musical repetition and emotional intensity.

Forget not yet!
Forget not yet the great essays,
The cruel wrong, the scornful ways,
The painful patience in denays,
Forget not yet!

Repeated refrain structure

Each stanza ends with 'Forget not yet!' - this is a rhetorical technique called an anaphora, creating musical repetition and emotional intensity.

Forget not yet, forget not this,
How long ago hath been, and is,

Emotional persistence

The phrase 'mind that never meant amiss' reveals the speaker's fundamental innocence and consistent emotional intention.

The mind that never meant amiss--
Forget not yet!

Repeated refrain structure

Each stanza ends with 'Forget not yet!' - this is a rhetorical technique called an anaphora, creating musical repetition and emotional intensity.

Forget not then thine own approved,
The which so long hath thee so loved,
Whose steadfast faith yet never moved:
Forget not this!
Source Wikipedia Poetry Foundation

Reading Notes

Renaissance Plea of Constancy

Thomas Wyatt writes in the classic courtly love tradition, where a lover must prove absolute devotion despite potential rejection. The poem is a passionate argument for remembering past commitment.

The structural repetition of 'Forget not yet' creates a sense of urgent pleading. Each stanza escalates the emotional stakes, from 'tried intent' to 'cruel wrong' to 'steadfast faith'.

Poetic Technique of Insistence

Wyatt uses a circular rhetorical structure where each stanza builds emotional pressure through near-identical grammatical constructions. The repeated 'Forget not yet' becomes both a request and a demand.

Notice the technical precision: three-line stanzas with a consistent rhythmic pattern, creating a musical quality that mirrors the speaker's emotional persistence.