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“Brittle Beauty”
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey

⚫ Surry was educated at home and learned
Latin, Italian, Spanish and French.
⚫ As a boy he spent his life at Windsor
Palace as one King Henry VIII’s retainers.
⚫ He led an active life at court, and took
part in several military actions against
France.
⚫ In 1547 he was arrested, charged with
treason, then beheaded in 1547.

⚫ Surry was influenced by Thomas Wyatt, but
the Italian and Roman influence on him was
greater.
⚫ His technical standards were high, and his
achievement outstanding and accomplished.
⚫ His sonnets are the descendent of those of
Petrarch, but modified for the sake of less
complicated rhyme schemes, smoothness,
and elegance in their development toward a
climax they anticipate the Shakespearean
sonnet.

⚫ His lyrics deal with external nature and
narrative subject.
⚫ His love poems, unlike those on
friendship, do not express genuine
feeling; sometimes they are rather cold.
⚫ . He wrote satiric and religious poems as
well, more noticeable for metrical variety
then effectiveness.
⚫ His language is characterized by
smoothness and controlled dignity.

⚫ We do not find in him unusual imagery,
but he is able to handle details with ease
and consistency, producing a pleasing
effect.
⚫ His greatness lies not in powerful emotion
or deep thinking, but in variety of
expression and metrical innovation.

⚫ “The Frailty and Hurtfulness of Beauty,”
⚫ A sonnet by Henry Howard, Earl of

Surrey.
⚫ The poem “Brittle Beauty” (also known as
“The Frailty and Hurtfulness of Beauty”) by
Henry Howard uses pastoral language and
similes to describe the transitory nature of
beauty.
⚫ Pastoral imagery and similes both allow the
reader to make comparisons in order to see
the true nature of the subject.
⚫ This automatically sets the tone of the piece

and describes the author’s true feelings about
beauty
⚫ "Brittle Beauty" continues to describe the
illusive nature of beauty by asking the
ultimate question: what is beauty?
⚫ Beauty is illusive and will never satisfy
someone forever.
⚫ It is enjoyable for a certain time, such as
the flowers in spring as the pastoral
language suggests, but then it is
inevitably ruined, just like fruit left out in
the frost.
Brittle Beauty”
⚫ Line 1: “ Brittle beauty, that Nature
made so frail”.
⚫ The poet begins by personifying beauty as
brittle (weak) and he claims that what causes
it to be so fragile and weak is “Nature.”
⚫ The capitalization of “Nature” is significant to
match the overall conceit/theme of the poem.
Nature is not fixed; it’s changeable,
unexpected and not constant. So is “beauty,”
the poet hints.
Explanation of the sonnet

⚫ If nature controls beauty and eventually
affects it with weakness (because of it’s
unstable nature), then therefore beauty,
like nature, is changeable too.

⚫ Lines 2 and 3:
⚫ • Whereof the gift is small, and short the
season
⚫ • Flowering today, tomorrow apt to fail ;
⚫ There’s a metaphor suggesting that “beauty” is a
gift which puts it in a positive frame. However,
the reader is disappointed right away as the poet
says that this gift is “small” and “short the
season;” an image which stresses that this
beauty will soon come to an end. The idea is
highlighted again by the poet’s use of a paradox
underlining the difference between beauty’s
transitory state from “today” to “tomorrow.”

⚫ The paradox serves to show us the
opposite state of beauty. One day it’s
“flowering” and shinning, but this positive
state does not continue for a long time,
because beauty is more likely to lose this
“glow.”
⚫ “ Season” is a good choice of word
underlining the idea of “change.”

⚫ Dangerous to deal with, vain , of none
avail (with no advantage);
⚫ Costly in keeping, past not worth two
peason ;
⚫ Why is it “dangerous to deal with?”
⚫ It’s vain/arrogant and it’s worthless since

it fades away quickly

⚫ Slipper in sliding, as is an eel's tail;
⚫ Beauty is not given to us to permanently
posses it. The poet is again stressing on
the “changing” nature of beauty and he
portrays this through a moving image.

⚫ “ Jewel of jeopardy ….. ;” False and
untrue, enticed oft to treason ;
⚫ Jeopardy: harm/risk of exposure to loss
⚫ A jewel, which stands for “beauty,” shines,
but since that it’s a “jewel of jeopardy” it will
be lost.
⚫ False and untrue (beauty): as if the poet is
drawing a dividing line between outer and
inner beauty. He’s indirectly suggesting that
physical beauty is untrue, and that inner
beauty lasts longer.
⚫ Treason: those who believe so much in
beauty might get betrayed in the end.

⚫ Ah ! bitter sweet , infecting as the
poison ,
⚫ To-day ready ripe , tomorrow all to-
shaken .
⚫ Conclusion
⚫ Negative effect of beauty (change)
⚫ Rhyme scheme: abab abab abab cc

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“Brittle Beauty”

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey

⚫ A sonnet by Henry Howard, Earl of

⚫ This automatically sets the tone of the piece

Explanation of the sonnet

Explanation of the sonnet

Explanation of the sonnet

Explanation of the sonnet

⚫ It’s vain/arrogant and it’s worthless since

Explanation of the sonnet

Explanation of the sonnet

Explanation of the sonnet

⚫ Rhyme scheme: abab abab abab cc

Explanation of the sonnet

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