Works

They Flee from Me

Citation Formats

General Reference

Literature Atlas. "They Flee from Me." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://literature.interactiveatlas.org/works/they-flee-from-me.

APA Style

Literature Atlas. (n.d.). They Flee from Me. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://literature.interactiveatlas.org/works/they-flee-from-me

BibTeX

@misc{literatureatlas-they-flee-from-me,
  author = {Literature Atlas},
  title = {They Flee from Me},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://literature.interactiveatlas.org/works/they-flee-from-me},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

A poem written by the English courtier and poet Sir Thomas Wyatt, first printed posthumously in Tottel's Miscellany in 1557 though generally believed to have been composed earlier, during Wyatt's own lifetime (he died in 1542). Written in rhyme royal, it laments a former lover's changed affections and has often been read as autobiographical, possibly alluding to one of Wyatt's own court liaisons under Henry VIII.

Facts

Disputed

Composed, From (Year)

from 1557 1

1557 is the year of first (posthumous) print publication in Tottel's Miscellany; the poem is generally believed to have been composed earlier, during Wyatt's lifetime (he died in 1542), but no specific composition year is documented.

Cross-Tradition Connections