John Skelton pours out his heart for his love in his poem “To Mistress Isabell Pennell.” He uses abstruse botanical diction to compare the woman to multiple flowers, including “rosabell[s]” (5), “camamell[s]” (6), “rosar[ies]” (7), rosemar[ies]” (8), “violet[s]” (12), and “dais[ies]” (14), to reveal her beauty and character. In addition to the abstruse botanical diction, abstruse theological diction is prevalent as well. He utilizes the theological diction with the words “Saint Mary” (1), “God” (24), and “heavenly” (22) in order to boost his message that his mistress is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen because she is similar to the beauty found in the heavens. This poem focuses on descriptive diction in order to woe the woman he is
