The Complete Works of Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder
Volume One: Prose
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Published:3rd Mar '16
Currently unavailable, currently targeted to be due back around 1st February 2025, but could change
This first volume of The Complete Works of Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder offers a scholarly edition of Wyatt's prose and letters, revealing his significant contributions to English literature.
In The Complete Works of Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder, readers are introduced to the life and literary contributions of Sir Thomas Wyatt, a pivotal figure in English poetry during the reign of Henry VIII. As England's foremost poet of his time, Wyatt is often credited with being the first to write a sonnet in English, marking a significant evolution in the country's literary landscape. This first volume of a two-part collection presents a comprehensive edition of his prose, including 35 letters and important documents that illuminate his role in the court and his interactions with notable figures of the era.
Wyatt's influence extends beyond poetry; his translation of Plutarch's Moralia represents the first classical moral essay published in English. His innovative use of continental poetic forms, such as ottava rima, and his paraphrasing of the Penitential Psalms have left a lasting impact on English literature. However, much of his work has remained underappreciated due to the absence of a definitive edition. This volume seeks to address that gap by providing scholarly editions of his lesser-known works, complete with annotations and historical context.
Additionally, the book features new archival discoveries, including the identification of a previously unknown recipient of one of Wyatt's letters. The inclusion of letters from Henry VIII and detailed biographical entries about individuals connected to Wyatt's diplomatic service further enriches the narrative. Overall, The Complete Works of Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder is an essential resource for understanding this influential poet's legacy and the broader cultural context of his time.
an edition that early modern literary scholarship has been in need of for a long time. We owe Jason Powell a great debt of thanks for this painstaking labor, which will no doubt prove the standard edition of Wyatt's works for decades to come ... it is the ideal blend of scholarly rigor and thought for the reader's experience of engaging with the texts. * William T. Rossiter, Speculum *
This long-awaited, definitive, and brilliantly edited volume ... allows readers to follow Wyatt's career in its intriguing detail. Editor Jason Powell's annotations help us to understand the shifting details of the international political calculus, while his section introductions help those less familiar with the period to grasp larger significances and overarching trajectories. The volume also includes Wyatt's translation of Plutarch's De tranquillitate animi, dedicated to Katherine of Aragon, and two letters of conventional moral advice to Wyatt's son. The latter acquire particular poignancy, since the son - Thomas Wyatt the Younger - went to the block for raising a rebellion against Katherine and Henry's daughter, Mary I. Although produced primarily for a scholarly audience, few volumes will give their readers better insight into the dangers and uncertainties of Tudor political life. * John Watkins, Common Knowledge *
Authoritative and exhaustive in its scholarship, this superb edition of Wyatt's prose will be the definitive work of reference for decades to come ... Wyatt's attentiveness to language - and the ways in which its slipperiness might be turned to his advantage -- is as evident here when he is arguing for his life as it is in his poetry ... this volume has everything the student and scholar of Wyatt's prose could possibly need. It is a masterly example of scholarly editing at its best and an advertisement not only for volume 2 (verse), but for Powell's edition of the Complete Poems of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, also under contract with Oxford University Press. * Catherine Bates, Renaissance Quarterly *
As a result of Jason Powell's meticulous scholarship and superb editing, Sir Thomas Wyatt's prose has become available in ways it never was before. This is a volume much to be commended and the companion edition of the poetry is to be eagerly anticipated. * James Carley, Times Literary Supplement *
Powell's edition is accessible, rigorous, comprehensive, and indispensable, and will not easily be surpassed. * Chris Stamatakis, Northern Renaissance *
ISBN: 9780199228607
Dimensions: 240mm x 174mm x 34mm
Weight: 902g
528 pages