Whoso List to Hunt - Sir Thomas Wyatt

On Monday, my girls and I were reading about the beginnings of the English sonnet in their literature book.  The book described Sir Thomas Wyatt's journey to Italy and his discovery of Petrarch.  It then went on to summarize sonnet structure.  Since the girls already know all about rhyme scheme notation, this was elementary to them.  I then realized: my girls know what a metaphor is.  They know what a sonnet is.  They know what "courtly love" was (the G-rated version).  They know all about Anne Boleyn (we just finished studying about Henry VIII).  So why not teach them Wyatt's "Whoso List to Hunt" this week?  They have all the pieces already; they'll understand it just fine!

And they did.  Did I mention that they're 10-year-olds?  :)

Note: "noli me tangere" = "don't touch me" (Latin).

Whoso List to Hunt

Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind,

But as for me, alas, I may no more;

The vain travail hath wearied me so sore,

I am of them that furthest come behind.

Yet may I by no means my wearied mind

Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth afore

Fainting I follow; I leave off therefore,

Since in a net I seek to hold the wind.

Who list her hunt, I put him out of doubt,

As well as I, may spend his time in vain.

And graven with diamonds in letters plain,

There is written her fair neck round about,

"Noli me tangere, for Caesar's I am,

And wild for to hold, though I seem tame."