Famous poet /1491 - 1547

King Henry VIII

King Henry VIII was not just the notorious King of England, but also a writer of some renown. While history remembers him primarily for his six wives and the English Reformation, Henry was also passionate about music and poetry. His court was a vibrant center for artistic expression, and he himself penned several works, including the love song "Greensleeves," which continues to be enjoyed today.

Henry VIII's poetic style, though not as prolific or influential as his political legacy, reflects the courtly love tradition popular in the late medieval and early Renaissance period. His works often feature themes of romance, chivalry, and religious devotion, echoing the sentiments of the era. Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, two prominent poets of his court, undoubtedly influenced his writing.

Although not considered a major literary figure, Henry VIII's poetry offers a glimpse into the artistic world of the Tudor court and the King's own interests and character. His works, often set to music, highlight the interconnected nature of art forms during his reign, where poetry, music, and courtly performance intertwined to create a rich tapestry of cultural expression.

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Pastyme With Good Companye

Pastyme with good companye
I love and shall untyll I dye;
Grugge who lust, but noon denye;
So god be plecyd, thus leve woll I;
For my pastaunce
Hunte, syng and daunce;
My hert ys sett
All godely sport
For my cumfort:
Who shall me lett?

Yowth must have sum dalyaunce,
Of good or yll some pastaunce;
Companye my thynckyth then best
All thoftes and fancys to dygest.
For idelnes
Ys cheff mastres
Of vices all;
Than who can say
But myrth and play
Ys best of all?

Cumpany with honeste
Ys vertu, vices to flee;
Cumpany ys gode and yll,
But every man hath hys frewyll.
The best insew,
The worst eschew,
My mynde shall be;
Vertu to use,
Vyce to reffuse,
Thus schall I use me.
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Analysis (ai): Written in late Middle English transitioning into Early Modern English, the poem reflects courtly linguistic norms of early 16th-century England, using archaic spellings ("dalyaunce", "reffuse") and syntax common in Tudor manuscripts; these forms convey formality and align with scribal conventions of the period.
  • Tone and Diction: The diction balances moral instruction with lightheartedness, using repetitive cadence and rhyme to suggest both song-like performance and didactic purpose; the tone remains declarative, blending personal affirmation with broader ethical guidance.
  • Structure and Rhythm: Composed in three stanzas with a consistent ABCAB rhyme scheme and tetrameter lines, the poem resembles a musical lyric, likely intended for singing, a common feature in courtly entertainment of the time.
  • Themes of Recreation and Morality: It frames leisure not as mere indulgence but as a structured pursuit that combats idleness—the root of vice—positioning disciplined enjoyment as a virtue; this moral framing aligns with medieval and Renaissance sermons that caution against sloth.
  • Less-Discussed Angle: Rather than celebrating festivity alone, the poem functions as a subtle assertion of royal agency—recreational choice becomes a site of personal and political autonomy, where the speaker affirms his right to govern both pastime and morality.
  • Relation to Author’s Other Works: Unlike Henry’s devotional compositions, this piece emphasizes secular authority and self-determination, reflecting a ruler’s dual role as both moral arbiter and participant in court culture.
  • Place in Author’s Oeuvre: Among Henry’s few surviving lyrics, this stands out for its performative accessibility and public tone, contrasting with his more private spiritual verses; it served as both entertainment and ideological statement.
  • Comparison to Contemporaneous Norms: While similar to moralized lyrics in 16th-century miscellanies, it diverges by merging personal voice with institutional authority, a blend less common in non-royal works of the period.
  • Archaic Language Impact: Words like "plesyd" (pleased), "eschew," and "use me" carry both legal and behavioral connotations, reinforcing the idea of conduct as governed by internal discipline and divine sanction.
  • Cultural Function: The poem exemplifies how courtly song could double as ethical instruction, using rhythm and repetition to embed moral precepts within enjoyable forms, consistent with humanist educational ideals gaining traction in Tudor England.
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      Grene Growith The Holy

      Grene growith the holy,
      So doth the ive,
      Though wynter blastys blow never so hye,
      Grene growith the holy.

      As the holy growith grene
      And never chaungyth hew,
      So I am, ever hath bene,
      Unto my lady trew.

      Grene growith the holy,
      So doth the ive,
      Though wynter blastys blow never so hye,
      Grene growith the holy.

      As the holy grouth grene
      With ive all alone
      When flowerys cannot be sene,
      And grenewode levys be gone.

      Grene growith the holy,
      So doth the ive,
      Though wynter blastys blow never so hye,
      Grene growith the holy.

      Now unto my lady
      Promyse to her I make,
      Frome all other only
      To her I me betake.

      Grene growith the holy,
      So doth the ive,
      Though wynter blastys blow never so hye,
      Grene growith the holy.

      Adew, myne owne lady,
      Adew, my specyall,
      Who hath my hart trewly,
      Be sure, and ever shall.

      Grene growith the holy,
      So doth the ive,
      Though wynter blastys blow never so hye,
      Grene growith the holy.
      Old English original:

      Grene growith the holy
      so doth the Iue.
      thow wyntes blastys blow neuer so hye
      grene growth the holy.
      As the holy grouth grene. 5
      and neuer chaungyth hew.
      So I am euer hath bene.
      vnto my lady trew.
      A the holy grouth grene:
      with Iue all alone. 10
      When flowerys. can not be sene:
      and grene wode leuys be gone.
      Now vnto my lady
      promyse to her I make.
      Frome all other only 15
      to her. I me betake.
      Adew myne owne lady.
      Adew my specyall.
      Who hath my hart trewly
      be suere and euer shall.

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      Analysis (ai): Composed in the early 16th century, this poem reflects Middle English transitioning into Early Modern English, evident in spellings like “wynter blastys” and “greweth.” The archaic diction and syntax situate it within late medieval secular lyric traditions, where natural imagery conveyed moral or emotional constancy. Religious connotations of “holy” (holly) and “ive” (ivy) draw from pre-Reformation symbolism, where evergreens represented enduring faith or fidelity, common in courtly and devotional verse.
    • Form and Structure: The poem employs a repetitive ballad-like refrain with quatrains in iambic tetrameter, typical of folk and courtly songs of the period. The cyclical structure reinforces the theme of persistence through adversity, a convention in medieval love lyrics. Its musicality suggests it may have been intended for performance, aligning with Henry’s known interest in music and composition.
    • Thematic Focus: Constancy in love is symbolized through the perennial green of holly and ivy, resilient against winter’s harshness. The speaker identifies his loyalty to his lady with the unchanging nature of these plants, equating emotional steadfastness with natural endurance. Unlike many courtly love poems that emphasize unattainable desire, this poem affirms mutual, enduring affection.
    • Comparison to Author’s Other Works: Among Henry’s few surviving poems, this piece stands out for its personal tone and emotional directness, contrasting with more politically charged or religious compositions. While other verses reflect theological debate or royal authority, this lyric leans into private declaration, possibly directed at Catherine of Aragon or Anne Boleyn, lending it biographical weight.
    • Place in Literary Tradition: The use of holly and ivy as symbols of fidelity aligns with 15th- and early 16th-century seasonal and moral lyrics, such as those in the “Greensleeves” tradition or the “Corpus Christi Carol.” Its refrain structure echoes carols and pastoral songs, but unlike religious allegories, it centers secular devotion, marking a shift toward personal expression in Tudor court poetry.
    • Less-Discussed Angle: The pairing of holly and ivy may carry gender symbolism—holly traditionally masculine, ivy feminine—suggesting a union rather than a one-sided devotion. The line “With ive all alone” could imply intimacy and exclusivity beyond mere loyalty, hinting at a mutual, sustaining relationship amid isolation, a subtler reading than simple constancy.
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        If Love Now Reynyd

        If love now reynyd as it hath bene
        And war rewardit as it hath sene,

        Nobyll men then wold suer enserch
        All ways wherby thay myght it rech;

        But envy reynyth with such dysdayne,
        And causith lovers owtwardly to refrayne,

        Which puttes them to more and more
        Inwardly most grevous and sore;

        The faut in whome I cannot sett;
        But let them tell which love doth gett.

        To lovers I put now suer this cace --
        Which of ther loves doth get them grace?

        And unto them which doth it know
        Better than do I, I thynk it so.
        Old English original:

        If loue now reynyd as it hath bene:
        And war rewardit as it hath sene:
        Nobyll men then wold suer enserch:
        All ways wher by thay myght it rech:
        Butt enuy reynyth with such dysdayne: 
        And causith louers owt wardly to refrayne:
        Which putt them to more and more:
        In wardly most greuous and sore:
        The faut in whome I can not sett:
        But let them tell which loue doth gett: 
        To louers I put now suer this cace:
        Which of ther loues doth gett them grace:
        And vnto them which doth it know:
        Better than do I. I thynk it so.

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        Analysis (ai): Written in the early 16th century, the poem reflects Middle English transitioning into Early Modern English, with spellings like "reynyd" (reigned) and "suers" indicating orthographic fluidity. The archaic diction and rhyme scheme align with courtly lyric traditions of the Tudor period, where personal expression was often veiled in formal structures.
      • Form and Structure: The poem uses a consistent ABAB rhyme scheme and iambic tetrameter, typical of lyrical compositions among the nobility, though less technically refined than contemporary Scottish or French models. Its eight quatrains follow a rhetorical progression, posing a question rather than narrating.
      • Thematic Focus: It explores the suppression of love and merit under envy and political intrigue, framing love and martial valor as once-rewarded virtues now obstructed. This reflects Henry’s later reign, when court factionalism and religious upheaval undermined ideals of chivalric service.
      • Less-Discussed Angle: Rather than expressing romantic longing, the poem functions as a political allegory—love symbolizes loyalty or service, and its “reign” parallels the monarch’s fluctuating favor. The rhetorical question “Which of ther loves doth get them grace?” interrogates the unreliability of royal patronage.
      • Comparison to Other Works: Unlike Henry’s more conventional love lyrics such as “Green Grows the Holly,” this poem is more skeptical and abstract, lacking pastoral imagery or personal devotion. It aligns with his occasional use of verse to reflect on governance and court dynamics.
      • Place in Author’s Oeuvre: Among Henry’s sparse surviving poems, this stands out for its critical tone and generalized disillusionment, diverging from the typical courtly praise or devotional themes. Its introspective skepticism is rare in his canon, suggesting personal or political frustration.
      • Relation to Era’s Norms: While love as a theme was common in early Tudor poetry, the fusion with themes of merit and envy reflects humanist concerns about virtue and recognition, echoing Erasmian critiques of court life. The poem’s restraint and measured tone contrast with the more florid expressions of love typical of the period.
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