or Thomas Wyatt later Sir Thomas
born 1503, Allington, near Maidstone, Kent, Eng.
died Oct. 6, 1542, Sherborne, Dorset
English poet.
A member of the court circle of Henry VIII, he was apparently admired for his skill in music, languages, and arms. He served a number of diplomatic missions, but his reputation rests on his poetic achievements, especially his introduction into English literature of the Italian sonnet and terza rima verse form and the French rondeau . His works, unusual for their time in carrying a strong sense of individuality, include Certayne Psalmes ...drawen into Englyshe meter (1549), three satires, and songs.