Anne Askew and Sir Thomas Seymour, Religion in Poetry

Anne Askew's poem "Like as the armed knight" speaks to the loyalty she shows to her Protestant faith. While Askew understands that she is under much scrutiny: "More enmyes now I have/Than hairs upon my head" (Askew lns. 21-22), Askew refused to back down from her faith. Askew was a great friend with King Henry VIII's sixth wife, Catherine Parr, who was sympathetic to the Protestant cause. A supporter of Martin Luther, Askew was seen as a heretic and eventually was arrested for her beliefs. Knowing Henry's past with religion, he was not accepting of Askew and her Protestant means: "Sir Anthony Kingston, the Constable of the Tower of London, was ordered to torture Anne in an attempt to force her to name other Protestants. Anne was put on the rack. Kingston was so impressed with the way Anne behaved that he refused to carry on torturing her, and Henry VIII's Lord Chancellor had to take over" (George paragraph 3). While Askew was tortured for months in an attempt to indict Catherine Parr, she refused to condemn anyone else to the torture she endured.

Though the months spent on the rack left her crippled, she was able to write while imprisoned. This poem discusses the faith she has as she is waiting for her return to the Kingdom of Heaven. One would speculate that Askew would be harsh of the monarchy, due to the torture she experienced, this poem begs to differ. Askew, being the godly woman she was, seems confident, and slightly forgiving, of the experience she had during her life: "As it is had in strength/And force of Christes way/It will prevail at length/Though all the devils say nay" (Askew lns. 9-12). Askew firmly believed her faith would exalt her beliefs, once she endures the religious intolerance of the Tudor monarchy as well as the Catholic Church. Denying the Catholic Church, as well as defying the King of England, Askew used her poetry to reaffirm her Protestant beliefs.

In "Forgetting God," Sir Thomas Seymour seems to be trying to win favors of the King, yet there was bad blood between the two men. Seymour was secretly married to Catherine Parr, while she was taking care of a teenage Elizabeth. His odd fascination with the princess led to speculation that Seymour had a sexual relationship with Henry's daughter. Prior to this, Seymour has been courtly Catherine, a woman who caught the eye of the King as well. In true Tudor fashion, Henry sent Seymour to the Netherlands as an ambassador. While in the Netherlands, Henry married his final wife, Catherine. Upon return, Seymour attempted to regain the power that the Seymour family had in England and conspired to kidnap Henry. Seymour's attempts were discovered, and he was subsequently imprisoned in the Tower of London. Seymour's poem reflects the strife that he felt towards the monarchy: "Forgetting God/To love a king/Hath been my rod/or nothing else" (Seymour lns. 1-4). These few lines describe how Seymour was forced to turn away from his beliefs and follow the orders of a King, instead of God. Within his words, Seymour seems to be asking for forgiveness from God for straying away from his faith: "And after this/Frail life, such grace/As in His bliss/I may have a place" (Seymour lns. 31-34). Seymour admits that the life he lived was "frail" and he longs for "...Death, haste thee" (Seymour ln. 21). He longed for death, because only in death would he finally be free.

In both poems, in speaks to the feelings of the monarchy, as well as religious beliefs. Askew employs her poem to stress that she is devout and confident in her religious beliefs, while Seymour repents his sins with in his words. Askew uses iambic trimeter, while Seymour utilizes a tetrameter in short choppy lines, which quickens the pace and heightens the need Seymour has for redemption. Askew's poem is much smoother, more refined as she speaks of being a solider of Christ. There is no anxiety within her poem, yet Seymour's seems to be filled with it. The assonance Askew's employs fills her lines with a strong "O" and "E" sound.

While it seems odd that the female voice within Askew's poem seems ascertain in her feelings and in her faith, she promotes the notion of the possibility of a strong female voice. Compared to Seymour, her words are fierce and determined; Seymour is more vulnerable and emotional, qualities usually attributed to women. Either way, both poets spoke from their hearts and divulged the spirit within.

WORKS CITED

Askew, Anne. "Like as the armed knight." HUM514, Spring 2008 Week Eight Course Module, Tiffin University.

George, Leonard. "Anne Askew." Crimes of Perception: An Encyclopedia of Heresies and Heretics. Paragon House Publishers; New Ed edition, 2001. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/TUDaskew.htm (March 13, 2008)

Seymour, Sir Thomas. "Forgetting God." HUM514, Spring 2008 Week Eight Course Module, Tiffin University.