What do the speakers of Sir Thomas Wyatt's "Whoso List to Hunt" and Edmund Spenser's "Sonnet 30" have in common? How are they different?

Both speakers in Sir Thomas Wyatt's "Whoso List to Hunt" and Edmund Spenser's "Sonnet 30" share a common theme of unrequited love, but their perspectives and attitudes towards love differ.

In "Whoso List to Hunt," the speaker compares his pursuit of a woman to a hunting expedition. He describes the object of his affection as a hind, which is a female deer. The speaker acknowledges that many other men have also pursued her but warns that she is already claimed by someone more powerful, represented by the line "noli me tangere" or "do not touch me." The speaker's tone is resigned and almost melancholic, as he accepts that he cannot attain the woman's love and that his pursuit is futile.

In contrast, the speaker in "Sonnet 30" by Edmund Spenser expresses deep sorrow and grief due to the unrequited love he experiences. He feels neglected and abandoned by the woman he loves, who seems to have moved on and forgotten about him. The speaker's tone is more passionate and intense, as he recounts the memories of their past together and laments his current state of loneliness. He even wishes for death to release him from his suffering.

Overall, both sonnets explore the theme of unfulfilled love, but Wyatt's speaker adopts a more resigned attitude, while Spenser's speaker is consumed by anguish and desperation.

To analyze the similarities and differences between the speakers in Sir Thomas Wyatt's "Whoso List to Hunt" and Edmund Spenser's "Sonnet 30," let's first go through the process of understanding the poems and their speakers.

1. Read and analyze the poems:
- Start by reading and understanding the content of each poem. Pay attention to the main themes, language, tone, and any significant details or symbols used.
- "Whoso List to Hunt" by Sir Thomas Wyatt is a Petrarchan sonnet that uses the metaphor of a hunting expedition to depict the speaker's pursuit of an elusive and unattainable mistress.
- "Sonnet 30" by Edmund Spenser is an English sonnet that explores the theme of unrequited love and the pain of rejection.

2. Identify the speakers:
- In "Whoso List to Hunt," the speaker is assumed to be Wyatt himself. He presents himself as a passionate hunter who pursues a deer, symbolizing his unrequited love for a woman who is unattainable.
- In "Sonnet 30," the speaker is also often assumed to be Spenser himself. He expresses his anguish over the rejection he experiences from his beloved.

3. Analyze their similarities:
- Both speakers share common themes of unrequited love and the pursuit of someone who is unattainable.
- They both convey a sense of longing, desire, and frustration in their pursuit of love.
- The speakers' tone in both poems is marked by a combination of passion and melancholy.

4. Identify their differences:
- The speaker in Wyatt's poem uses the metaphor of hunting to describe his pursuit of the unattainable woman. In contrast, Spenser's speaker directly addresses his beloved and expresses his pain over her rejection.
- The tone in "Whoso List to Hunt" leans more towards resignation and acceptance of the woman's unavailability, while "Sonnet 30" reflects more bitterness and sorrow.

To summarize, the speakers in Sir Thomas Wyatt's "Whoso List to Hunt" and Edmund Spenser's "Sonnet 30" have common themes of unrequited love and desire for an unattainable person. However, their differences lie in the specific metaphors used, the directness of their expressions, and the variations in tone.

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174862

http://www.bartleby.com/358/796.html

First of all, who are the speakers in these poems?

In other words, you cannot compare and contrast the speakers in these sonnets until you have completely analyzed each sonnet.