Astrophil and Stella By Sir Philip Sidney Loving

Astrophil and Stella By : Sir Philip Sidney

Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show, That she, dear She, might take some pleasure of my pain: Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know, Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain, I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe, Studying inventions fine, her wits to entertain: Oft turning others' leaves, to see if thence would flow Some fresh and fruitful showers upon my sun-burned brain. But words came halting forth, wanting Invention's stay, Invention, Nature's child, fled step-dame Study's blows, And others' feet still seemed but strangers in my way. Thus great with child to speak, and helpless in my throes, Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite,

Overall This is one of those (fairly frequent) love poems that is more about the composition of love poetry than about love itself. Its chief narrative thread is this: the author has tried to express his love in poetry, but has been relying on study, rather than on direct perception of the truth to do so; when this fails, the muse advises him, "Look in thy heart and write, " a phrase that will serve as a theme for the whole set.

1. The author opens this first sonnet by explaining his motivation for composing the sonnet sequence. He believes that if his love was to read the sonnets, she would eventually return his affection. He argues that her pleasure in his pain would cause her to read his sonnets, and her reading of the sonnets would allow her to know the extent of his affection, which might make her pity the author's situation-and this pity may transform into grace and love. Analysis: Sidney's actions of writing about how to compose a love sonnet allow him to do just that: compose a love sonnet.

cont With this in mind, he warns the reader that the emotions expressed in the entire sonnet sequence stem directly from the heart-thus, he cannot be held rationally responsible. The statements in this first sonnet make clear that Sidney (who already can be identified with the author of the love sonnets) is conflicted in his role as a zealous lover and a self-critical poet. This sonnet demonstrates the first of many clashes between reason and passion that appear in the sonnet sequence. He already seems to know that he will never truly win Stella, but he cannot help but desire her. This conflict between contradicting forces is a crucial element of the sequence.

The analysis of the whole Sequence: 2. The author describes the slow progression of love into his life. Love did not come quickly or at first sight. Instead, the author's love for Stella began slowly and infiltrated his heart before he realized what was happening. He began by viewing her in a purely platonic way, and he then began to appreciate her more-and he finally fell in love with her. Analysis: Sidney presents himself as a passive participant in the progression of love. He has no control over his emotions. Moreover, because of the slow and steady progression of his emotions, he was unable to guard himself in any way

cont He is a slave to love and has no power to escape it. By presenting himself as a slave to a sort of happy tyranny, Sidney both justifies and excuses his actions. According to his inflexible Protestant background, Sidney's desire for Stella is inappropriate and must be restrained at all times. But if he is not under his own control, existing as nothing more than a slave to love, he cannot be judged as completely responsible for his behavior. 3. The author provides examples of all of the actions the Muses can inspire, ranging from increasing wittiness to enriching poetry with exotic metaphors

cont But Sidney asserts that he does not call upon any of the Muses in order to write his poetry. Instead, he looks to Stella herself for inspiration. Nevertheless, all of the exotic metaphors and complex phrases that the Muses can inspire in other poets are beyond his reach because Stella affects him too personally. She holds the source of all beauty and, in the end, his poetry can only mirror what already exists in her. Analysis: The sonnet begins with rich imagery that meant to envoke the Muses, the nine sister goddesses who were thought to embody the arts and inspire all creative imagination. .

cont In the epic tradition it was standard practice to call upon them explicitly at the beginning of the narrative. This sonnet is ironic because it describes Stella as both a stimulus and a drain on his creative power. He is unable to call upon the nine Muses for inspiration in his poetry because of his love for Stella, yet she is the only muse he can accept in his heart. Stella unfortunately cannot incite Astrophil's imagination. Worse, he only can write what already exists in her beauty; he is unable to create anything new. This seems to be an expression of traditional poetic humility.

4. Astrophil is weary of Virtue who, in his sternness, will not allow any vices. He urges Virtue to leave him alone, arguing that if Virtue does not like elements of Astrophil's character, Virtue should just ignore them. Astrophil recognizes that he has faults, but like a colt, he is too young to be driven so hard at Virtue's hands (his mouth is too tender for Virtue's bit). Still, even the old master Virtue could understand his love for Stella with a little convincing. Astrophil argues that the image of Stella in Astrophil's heart would be sufficient to make even Virtue himself fall in love with her. Analysis: The poem depicts Virtue as a sort of stern schoolteacher.

cont In doing so, the poem also creates a different view of Astrophil as the lover. Astrophil is young and full of life. He is contemptuous of churches, schools, and the power of thought because his will and his wit are constantly at odds with one another. He views the world in this way because he sees it through the lens of his love for Stella. In the last section of the poem, Astrophil becomes gentler as he begins to describe Stella's image is enough convince Virtue to fall in love, but Astrophil emphasizes that this is a result of her inherent virtue rather than her power. 5. Sidney lists a series of truths. First, we are born to serve reason alone. Second, lovers have only themselves to blame for succumbing to Cupid's dart.

Third, virtue is beauty in its true form, rather than the superficial appearance that is usually regarded as beauty. The final truth here is that people are only pilgrims on this earth who should concentrate on their souls. Even though he recognizes the truth of all of these statements, he is unable to separate his rational understanding from the love in his heart. Despite his knowledge of all of these truths, he concludes that he still loves Stella. His love for her is truth for him even though all of the other truths contradict it.

Analysis: This poem is essentially a series of moral axioms upended in the end with a final strange conclusion. Sidney uses the term "true" frequently in the sonnets in order to play with the reader's mind and toy with the meaning of the term. All of the force he establishes with the idea of truth in all sonnets of the sequence is used to prove his final truth: that he must love Stella. . Astrophil agrees to become a "rebel to Nature" and a "fool" to Cupid's power. Yet, he emphasizes that he does not have a choice in the decision; he "must" love Stella with an urgency that is beyond his control.

6. Mirroring the first sonnet in the sequence, Sidney describes why he is unable to copy other poets. He refers to the numerous conventions used to write sonnets. First, some poets view love as an overpowering force that makes lovers suffer. Second, some use contradictory terms or oxymorons, such as "living deaths" and "freezing fires. " Third, some use mythology to express their ideas, for example, describing the many disguises of Jove. Fourth, some use the pastoral tradition, depicting gentlemen and ladies dressed as shepherds and shepherdesses. Finally, some use conceits to write their sonnets (these are extended metaphors with a complex logic that often dominates an entire poem)

cont For example, there is the comparison between tears and ink. Although he recognizes all of these literary traditions for expressing love in sonnets, Sidney declares that he only can express his love through his voice. Analysis: Sidney describes poets' various means of expressing love in their sonnets. Although he hardly employs the traditions they use, he feels his love as intensely as they do. Instead of writing poetry, however, all that he needs to do to show his love is reveal the trembling in his voice as he whispers her name. This is one of the earliest literary calls for originality in one's work. In Sidney's time, it was common for authors and poets to steal the plots of others.

cont William Shakespeare, for one, thought nothing of "borrowing" other people's plots as well as the stories of real historical figures to use in his plays. Yet, Sidney is unable (or perhaps, unwilling) to rely on other poets to demonstrate his love. In the end, the emotion in his voice is far superior in expressing his love than any borrowed literary conventions. 7. The Sequence opens with a riddle: "What Nature made her chiefe worke, Stella's eyes, / In colour blacke, why wrapt she beames so bright? " Astrophil lists several possible answers to the riddle. It could be for the aesthetic effect (since Stella's black eyes set off her fair skin).

cont Her eyes could act as a black veil to obscure the dazzling Platonic light. Or, her eyes could be meant to show Nature's great power by making the color black seem beautiful. Each of these responses is offered with hesitation in the form of questions. The true response is the final one: Stella's eyes are black in order to mourn all of those men who die for the love of her. Analysis: Astrophil devotes an entire poem to praising Stella's eyes. In an ironic shift, the only certain thing in the poem, other than that her eyes are black, is that her eyes have a destructive effect on him.

cont This is a slightly skewed version of a traditional metaphor used in Renaissance poetry: the idea that the mistress's eyes can kill the lover with a glance. 8. Astrophil describes the voyage of Cupid from his native home in Greece to Astrophil's own heart. Because the hearts of Turkish lovers were too hard to be pierced with his arrows, Cupid traveled to England. Although the hearts of the British were soft and susceptible to his darts, Cupid felt cold in the new climate and tried to find a warm location in which to settle himself. He saw Stella's brilliant face and, because its beauty was so warm, he imagined that it was a source of heat.

cont When her face turned out to be cold, Love moved into Astrophil's heart, where the flames of his desire for Stella burned off Cupid's wings. Analysis: Sidney describes his love for Stella as a result of Cupid's behavior. He has no control over Cupid because Love is now literally trapped in his heart; Cupid cannot fly away without his wings. Ironically, Cupid is trapped in Astrophil's heart because of his own actions: it was he who first stoked the flames for Stella that eventually burned Cupid's wings. Ultimately, even Love has no power over Stella. Despite Cupid's best efforts, he was unable to live in her face. Astrophil fears that perhaps Stella is immune to love.

9. Astrophil describes the different elements of Stella's beautiful face. Her forehead is alabaster; her hair is gold; her mouth is made of red porphir; her teeth are pearls; and her cheeks are a combination of red and white marble. The windows of this palace, Stella's eyes, look over the world, but anyone looking will discover that there is nothing in the world that is as beautiful as Stella's face. Analysis: Astrophil depicts Stella's beauty as a sort of architectural design of Nature. Not only does her face possess all of Nature's best "furniture" (or facial features), it is equipped with the very best materials: gold, alabaster, pearl, marble, and so forth.

cont Compared to this wealth, Astrophil is nothing but a pauper who tracks in ink and paper. He recognizes that he is unworthy of entering "Queen Virtue's Court. " 10. Astrophil mocks Reason for its attempt to cultivate his loving mind. He urges Reason to climb the Muses' hill or seek the inside of Heaven rather than waste time attempting to instill rationality in Astrophil's mind. Even if Reason did continue to fight, Astrophil declares, as soon as he was faced with Stella's eyes he would fall to his knees. Immediately, even Reason would be so overcome by Stella's beauty that Reason would give himself up in her name.

Analysis: This sonnet mirrors Sonnet 4 in its presentation of Reason as a sort of grumbling old schoolmaster. Astrophil possesses a tone of familiar contempt for Reason, declaring that Reason is well served in his defeat. Astrophil only lessens his contemptuous tone when Reason succumbs to Stella and falls to his knees. In the final couplet of the sonnet, Sidney describes the truth behind the conflict between reason and love. Even the most intelligent person can succumb to rationalizations, putting reason in the service of desire. As in Sonnet 4, Astrophil emphasizes that public standards of reason and virtue are irrelevant in the private world of love.

11. Astrophil bemoans Cupid's failure to obtain Stella's heart. He describes Cupid as a little boy who pretends to go about the action of love with seriousness but actually misses the crucial elements. Astrophil compares Stella to a beautiful book with gilded pages. Like a foolish boy, Cupid plays with the beautiful outside of the book, but he fails to delve inside and obtain the full meaning of the book. Cupid's behavior with the book, Astrophil laments, is mirrored in his behavior with Stella. He plays with her exterior beauty, setting bird traps in her cheeks and crouching in her breast, but in doing so, he forgets to go inside and capture her heart.

Analysis: Astrophil continues to worry that Stella's heart will never be touched by love. He blames Cupid for this failure, presenting Love as a sort of asexual figure who, literally, does not know what he is supposed to do with a beautiful woman. Without Cupid, another traditional poetic fallback is unavailable for use. Astrophil laments the irony of his situation. As an adult man, he would not play boyish games with Stella's exterior; he would try to catch her heart. Yet, the only individual who actually has access to her and the ability to steal her heart is Cupid, who is too young or naïve to do it.

12. Astrophel spends the majority of the sonnet describing the different ways in which Cupid is present in Stella's person. Cupid shines in Stella's eyes, and he catches larks with her golden hair. He provokes flames of love in others and then fans them using Stella's breath. All of his wrongs are justified by Stella's grace, and Stella's voice can persuade anyone to fall in love. Yet, Astrophel declares, Cupid is mistaken in believing that he has conquered Stella for his own advantage. Her heart is a fortress, heavily guarded against Love's infiltration.

Analysis: Cupid is still fooled into believing that he wields power over Stella. In fact, Stella is in control of Cupid, using him to ensnare lovers for herself but never allowing him to access her heart (even if he knew he should do so). The poem emphasizes the ideas of woman as fortress and lover as besieger. This metaphor was common in medieval and early modern poetry. Yet, as Astrophel acknowledges, Stella's heart is an impenetrable fortress which, if Cupid himself has failed to conquer it, Astrophel will never be able to penetrate it.

13. Phoebus was directed to judge between Jove, Mars, and Love to determine whose coat of arms was the best. Jove's shield displayed eagles carrying Ganymede into the skies, and he carried thunderbolts on his crest. Mars's shield depicted a golden spear thrust through a bleeding heart, and he carried the net of Venus on his crest. Cupid used Stella, positioning her face as his shield and her golden hair as his crest. Phoebus instantly crowned Cupid the winner of the challenge, swearing that Jove and Mars were scarcely worth a comparison.

Analysis: Stella is the one who elevates Cupid above Jove and Mars. As a result of her presence on his shield and crest, the two other gods are "scarcely gentlemen, " barely worthy of a coat of arms at all. Significantly, the phrase "roses gules are born in silver field, " meaning red roses on a silver background, is a direct reference to the arms of the Devereux family, which consisted of three red disks in a silver field. Compare this contest with the judgment (which indirectly caused the events of the Iliad) that Paris had to make regarding which of three goddesses, Hera, Athena, or Aphrodite, was the most beautiful.

14. The speaker presents two different views of love. In the first eight lines, love is a fierce bird of prey and, according to Astrophil's friend, is made up of desire and sinful thoughts. In the final sestet, Astrophil responds to his friend's criticism, expressing a new definition of love. He attempts to show that his friend's view of sin is inflexible and conventional but not true. And if love really is sin, Astrophil will gladly be sinful.

Analysis: In the sonnet, the friend views love as lustful desire. In this perspective, love is sin. Sidney views love in terms of what it can accomplish: enlightenment and attainment of a higher plane of emotion. The sestet of this sonnet, lauding the virtues of love, foreshadows other sonnets that will occur later in the sequence. But of the two views of love in the sonnet, it is the first view of love as a sin that dominates in the first third of the entire sequence. Even so, Astrophil is happy to accept that view and embrace his sinful state.

THANK YOU Mona Almuqbil Raja Albati Ragad Alassaf Danya Alghtany Fatima Alshry