John Skelton

John Skelton (1460?-1529), English poet and satirist, born probably in Diss, Norfolk, and educated at the University of Cambridge. He was a tutor to Prince Henry, later Henry VIII. The Bowge of Court (1498) was a satire of court politics that Skelton wrote just before stepping out of court life and becoming a clergyman. He did not stay out of court long, however, returning to serve in various capacities. Skelton was ordained a priest in 1498 and became rector of Diss about 1502. He was also adviser to Henry VIII. He is best known for his satirical poems attacking the court and the corruption of the clergy. Skelton's verse is written in a unique style known as Skeltonics: short, alliterative lines with a persistent repetition of the same rhyme that maintain a vernacular tone, the repetitive rhymes giving the lines a “breathless” rhythm. His poems include Collyn Clout (1522) and Why Come Ye Not to Court? (1522), both attacks on Thomas Cardinal Wolsey, and corruption in the church. Skelton was admired by W. H. Auden and Robert Graves for his unique voice and innovative meter.