Wyatt’s speaker is done with love — permanently. He pictures romantic entanglements as baited hooks that have caught him too many times, but now he’s breaking free. Instead of chasing desire, he hears the pull of Seneca and Plato, wanting to turn his mind toward real fulfillment: knowledge and inner wealth. There’s a weariness in his voice; he admits he persisted “in blind error” and felt the sting of rejection over and over. That pain finally taught him to despise the games love plays. The mood is defiant but not triumphant — more like a sigh of relief mixed with lingering bitterness. He tells love to go bother younger, more foolish people and squander its “brittle darts” on them. The closing line drives it home: he no longer has any appetite for climbing rotten branches that will only break. It’s a sour farewell, but a firm one.
Farewell Love and All Thy Laws Forever — Summary
Farewell love and all thy laws forever; Thy baited hooks shall tangle me no more. Senec and Plato call me from thy lore To perfect wealth, my wit for to endeavour. In blind error when I did persever, Thy sharp repulse, that pricketh aye so sore, Hath taught me to set in trifles no store And scape forth, since liberty is lever. Therefore farewell; go trouble younger hearts And in me claim no more authority. With idle youth go use thy property And thereon spend thy many brittle darts, For hitherto though I have lost all my time, Me lusteth no lenger rotten boughs to climb.