Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1517–1547), stands as one of the most influential figures in early English poetry. As a 16th-century British poet, his work bridged the medieval tradition with the emerging Renaissance, helping to shape the course of English literature. Though his life was tragically short—ending at the age of 29—his innovations in poetic form and themes left a lasting imprint on the trajectory of English verse. This article will explore Henry Howard’s contributions to 16th-century British poetry, comparing him to other poets of his time, and highlighting his influence on the development of English literature.
Early Life and Context
Henry Howard was born into a prominent family in 1517, the son of the Duke of Norfolk. He grew up at a time of political intrigue, religious upheaval, and intellectual renewal in Tudor England. His family background, with its ties to the royal court, provided Howard access to education and the social circles that would shape his literary and political life.
Howard’s intellectual development was shaped by his exposure to Renaissance humanism, which was making its way to England. Humanism, with its emphasis on classical learning and the study of ancient texts, profoundly influenced poets during the 16th century. In addition to his aristocratic background, Howard’s relationship with poets such as Sir Thomas Wyatt and his exposure to the works of the Italian and Latin poets of antiquity helped him develop his poetic style.
However, Howard’s life was also marked by political drama. He held various military positions and had conflicts with other members of the English aristocracy, which ultimately led to his execution in 1547 on charges of treason. Despite his early death, his literary legacy endured.
Henry Howard’s Poetic Contributions
Henry Howard is best known for introducing the Italian sonnet to English poetry, as well as for his role in transforming the English language’s poetic forms and themes. His major innovations lie in both form and content, and his work can be seen as a bridge between the medieval English poets and the later poets of the Elizabethan era, particularly William Shakespeare.
The Introduction of the English Sonnet
Before Henry Howard, English poets had primarily written sonnets using the Petrarchan model, with the familiar octave-sestet structure. However, Howard’s introduction of the Shakespearean sonnet—which consists of three quatrains followed by a final rhymed couplet—represented a significant departure from the Petrarchan tradition. This new form allowed poets more flexibility, which suited the evolving nature of English poetry.
The Shakespearean sonnet, though often credited to William Shakespeare, can be traced back to Howard’s innovations. His sonnets, although relatively few in number, are notable for their compact structure and their ability to convey complex emotions with clarity. Howard’s use of iambic pentameter and the ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme allowed English poets to express more varied emotions and explore deeper philosophical and emotional terrain.
In his sonnet, “The soote season,” Howard’s rhyme and meter reflect a mastery of form, and the precision of the structure allows the poem’s theme of fleeting beauty to resonate deeply. The Shakespearean sonnet, which he helped introduce, would later become the hallmark of English poetry and is still used by poets to this day.
Themes of Love, Honor, and Mortality
Howard’s poetry reflects the interests and concerns of the Renaissance humanists of his time, with a particular focus on themes such as love, honor, and the inevitability of death. These themes, while rooted in his medieval Christian upbringing, were reshaped by Renaissance ideals, which emphasized individualism, self-expression, and the study of classical antiquity.
Love and Courtly Tradition
As with many poets of the time, love was a central theme in Howard’s work. However, his treatment of love is notably complex, as it often blends the medieval courtly tradition with Renaissance humanism. His love poems reflect the conventions of Petrarchism, which emphasized unattainable or idealized love, but they also introduce a more personal and introspective style. Howard’s sonnets are less about the formal courtesy of the courtly tradition and more about personal experience and emotional depth.
One of Howard’s most famous poems, “Love, that doth reign and live within my thought,” demonstrates his engagement with the tradition of Petrarchan love. The poem speaks of love’s dominance over the poet’s thoughts, but it also introduces an undercurrent of suffering, as the poet finds himself in a state of emotional turmoil. The Petrarchan conceit of unattainable love is expressed here with greater emotional intensity, moving beyond courtly conventions into a more intimate and vulnerable realm.
This engagement with both idealized and emotional love can be compared to the work of Howard’s contemporaries, particularly Sir Thomas Wyatt, whose sonnets often portrayed the anguish of unrequited love, but with a more psychological and self-reflective tone. The two poets’ works reflect a shared sense of romantic disillusionment, but Howard’s treatment of the theme is more tragic and melancholic, focusing on the impermanence of beauty and love.
The Transience of Life
In addition to love, Howard frequently explores the theme of mortality, a concern that also arises from his humanist education and his awareness of the brevity of life. The Renaissance preoccupation with death and the passage of time is present in many of Howard’s works, as seen in his sonnet “The long love that in my heart doth harbor,” in which the poet reflects on the fleeting nature of love and life itself.
This focus on mortality echoes the work of other poets from the same period, such as Thomas Wyatt and Edmund Spenser, whose works also grapple with the inevitability of death and the ways in which time erodes beauty. In contrast, Shakespeare, writing later in the 16th century, would famously reflect on time’s destructive power in his sonnets, most notably in Sonnet 12 (“When I do count the clock that tells the time”).
Classical Influence and Renaissance Humanism
Another key aspect of Howard’s poetry is his strong engagement with classical texts. Howard, like many Renaissance writers, was influenced by the classical poets of antiquity, including Virgil, Ovid, and Horace. These classical influences are evident in his use of mythological references, his adoption of classical forms, and his focus on themes that were central to classical literature, such as love, honor, and the passage of time.
The humanist movement, which emphasized the study of ancient Greek and Roman culture, played a pivotal role in shaping Howard’s poetic style. Much like his contemporaries, including Wyatt, who also drew on classical models, Howard sought to emulate the style and themes of the classical poets while adapting them to the English context.
His use of the elegiac form, seen in works such as his elegy on the death of his father, is reminiscent of the Latin elegists such as Tibullus and Propertius, whose poetry often dealt with themes of love, loss, and personal reflection.
Comparing Henry Howard with Other Poets of His Time
Henry Howard’s place in 16th-century British poetry must be understood in the context of his contemporaries, particularly Sir Thomas Wyatt and Edmund Spenser. Though Howard and Wyatt are often compared due to their shared contributions to the sonnet form, there are some notable differences in their approaches to poetry.
Sir Thomas Wyatt
Sir Thomas Wyatt, the poet and diplomat, was a close contemporary of Howard and is often considered a predecessor to Howard in terms of the English sonnet tradition. While Wyatt also drew on the Petrarchan sonnet and its conventions, his treatment of love was more direct and psychological. Wyatt’s sonnets often reflect a self-awareness about the futility of love and the contradictions inherent in the act of loving.
In contrast, Howard’s sonnets are more idealized, expressing both the agony and the beauty of love in a highly stylized and formal manner. The Shakespearean sonnet, which Howard pioneered, was later used by Shakespeare to explore more complex themes of love and time, as we will see in comparison to the work of Wyatt.
Edmund Spenser
While Howard was more concerned with personal, emotional expression, Edmund Spenser, a poet of the next generation, was more focused on the allegorical and mythological dimensions of poetry. Spenser’s epic, The Faerie Queene, is an example of his use of Renaissance humanism and his engagement with both classical and Christian traditions. In contrast to Howard’s shorter, more introspective sonnets, Spenser’s works are longer and often engage in the exploration of moral and political themes, blending romance, mythology, and social commentary.
William Shakespeare
Though Shakespeare came slightly after Howard’s time, the two poets share a deep engagement with the sonnet form and an exploration of love and time. While Howard’s Shakespearean sonnet was innovative, it was Shakespeare who would fully develop and immortalize it, using it to explore some of the most profound themes in Western literature. Shakespeare’s sonnets, like Howard’s, are preoccupied with the transience of beauty and love, but they also delve into the complexities of the poet’s self-awareness and reflections on immortality.
Conclusion
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, was a 16th-century British poet whose contributions to English literature, especially his introduction of the Shakespearean sonnet, were foundational to the development of the English poetic tradition. His engagement with classical texts, his exploration of themes of love and mortality, and his innovative use of the sonnet form have left a lasting legacy on English poetry. Though he died young, his work has influenced generations of poets, from his contemporaries to William Shakespeare, and remains an essential part of the 16th-century literary landscape. In the context of his time, Howard’s work represents a critical turning point, blending the medieval and Renaissance traditions and laying the groundwork for the flourishing of English poetry in the centuries to follow.
