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Difficulty: MediumExtended Metaphors and Conceits

Read the following sixteenth-century poem by Sir Thomas Wyatt carefully:

Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind,
But as for me, hélas, I may no more.
The vain travail hath wearied me so sore,
I am of them that farthest cometh 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,
Sithens 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."

Which of the following best describes the function of the extended metaphor of the deer hunt throughout the poem?

  1. It represents the speaker’s compulsive but ultimately futile pursuit of an unobtainable beloved.Answer
  2. B
    It documents the poet’s personal and historical grievances regarding his banishment from the Tudor court.
  3. C
    It provides a realistic depiction of the physical hazards and exhaustion associated with medieval forest tracking.
  4. D
    It serves as a collection of disjointed symbols that compare the speaker's beloved to wind, diamonds, and writing.
  5. E
    It traces the speaker’s steady progression from initial despair to a triumphant conquest of the beloved.

Answer

The extended metaphor of the deer hunt represents the speaker's compulsive but ultimately futile pursuit of an unobtainable beloved.
The correct option correctly identifies that the extended metaphor of the hunt represents a compulsive but futile pursuit of an unobtainable beloved. Throughout the poem, the speaker compares chasing the woman to hunting a deer, and explicitly describes his inability to stop chasing her ('Fainting I follow') despite knowing he cannot catch her ('in a net I seek to hold the wind') because she is claimed by a powerful figure ('Caesar').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the vehicle of the metaphor.
The vehicle is a deer hunt where the speaker is exhausted, lagging behind, and attempting an impossible task ('in a net I seek to hold the wind').
Understanding the literal details of the metaphor is the first step in unlocking its figurative meaning.
2
Map the vehicle to the tenor.
The deer is a woman who belongs to 'Caesar' (a king or powerful figure) and is marked as untouchable ('Noli me tangere'). The hunt represents the speaker's courtship.
This establishes the figurative connection between the hunt and the pursuit of love.
3
Synthesize the development of the conceit to determine its primary function.
The conceit structures the speaker's expression of obsessive desire and the pain of knowing the pursuit is useless yet unavoidable.
This identifies the overarching theme and purpose of the extended metaphor in the context of the entire poem.

Key Concept

Extended Metaphors and Conceits
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Extended Metaphors and Conceits

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