Whoso List to Hunt

What are the motifs in Whoso List to Hunt by Thomas Wyatt?

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Obsession is a recurring idea in the narrative. In Wyatt's sonnet, the hunter can be said to be obsessed with possessing his prey. He describes himself as “wearied” twice, in lines 3 and 5. In line 7, he refers to himself as “fainting” as he continues to follow the hind, even as she flees him. The pursuit is dangerous, as the deer is labeled as royal property, but the hunter follows anyway. When a desire is so intense that it cannot be ignored, even when danger is present, it might be labeled an obsession; mere reasoning is not enough to rid the obsessed lover of his desire.