They Flee from Me
is an original love poem by Sir Thomas Wyatt. The poem is of
a lover who reminisces of the old days when he had several relationships with women
and of the day when a certain woman came along that changed everything. Now he has
been left alone by all his mistresses. The speaker first recalls how wild his life was with
all those when before he met that one woman in particular. However it had been a lie, for
just as she had appeared in his life she also disappeared. The speaker says that he had
deserved it, for his good manners, she had been unfaithful to him. At the end he wonders
what has happened to this certain woman. He may hope that karma has caught with her
and she has been paid with something just as bad or worse. This Petrarchan sonnet love
seems to be transient, just as it comes, it goes, and regardless of how well mannered a
person may be in the relationship.
Catullus wrote many poems about his love affair with Lesbia. He was deeply in
love with her, but she was treacherous, and did just as the woman in Wyatt’s poem.
When Lesbia leaves Catullus is left depressed, unable to comprehend what has happened,
what has gone wrong that has driven Lesbia away. Carmina 8 was written by Catullus
after Lesbia has left, to advise himself. It can be seen as somewhat of a pep talk, to cheer
him up, and help him see that Lesbia is not worth his tears. Catullus in this carmina also
remembers the good days when everything had gone his way, “
fulsere quondam candidi
tibi soles, cum uentitabas quo puella ducebat amata nobis quantum amabitur nulla.
”

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Poz Diaz, 4
(Once the suns shone bright for you, when you would go where your sweetheart led, she
who was loved by me as none will ever be loved). He realizes that no other lover shall
ever be as Lesbia, she was special to him. But then also Catullus is filled with vengeance.
He like the speaker of Sir Wyatt’s sonnet hopes that his mistress has received a fate just
as terrible, so that then she may feel the pain she has caused him. Catullus ends the
carmina wondering what has become of Lesbia, “
scelesta, uae te, quae tibi manet uita?


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- Fall '10
- RFreed
- Latin, Poetry, Sonnet
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