Sonnet 31 Sir Philip Sidney Robert Harter, 2014

Sir Philip Sidney… Born November 30, 1554, in Penhurst, England. Part of Queen Elizabeth I’s court. An ardent Protestant. Part of a famous literary family, including Lady Mary Wroth. Wrote Arcadia, The Defence of Poesy, and Astrophil and Stella among other works. Appointed governor of Flushing in the Netherlands. Wounded by a musket shot in a battle against the Spanish, died twenty-two days later at the age of thirty-two. Gave his water to another wounded soldier and said, “Thy necessity is greater than mine.” Robert Harter, 2014

Astrophil and Stella… Was written in the 1580s. Penelope Was written in the 1580s. Translates to “Starlover and Star” From the Greek words ‘aster’ meaning star, ‘phil’ meaning lover, and the Latin word ‘stella’ meaning star. Is part of a sonnet cycle containing 108 sonnets and eleven songs. Influenced by Petrachan conventions. Concerns a lover who yearns after a woman who does not return his earnest feelings. Supposedly written about Penelope Devereux, a woman whom Sidney loved but lost because she married Robert Rich, a courtier. (Astrophil is thought to be Sir Philip Sidney and Stella is thought to be Penelope.) Robert Harter, 2014

With how sad steps, O Moon, thou climb'st the skies With how sad steps, O Moon, thou climb'st the skies !  How silently, and with how wan a face !  What, may it be that even in heavenly place  That busy archer his sharp arrows tries?  Sure, if that long-with-love-acquainted eyes  Can judge of love, thou feel'st a lover's case;  I read it in thy looks;  thy languisht grace  To me that feel the like, thy state descries.  Then, even of fellowship, O Moon, tell me,  Is constant love deemed there but want of wit?  Are beauties there as proud as here they be?  Do they above love to be loved, and yet  Those lovers scorn whom that love doth possess?  Do they call virtue there, ungratefulness? Robert Harter, 2014

Petrarchan Sonnet The sonnet is divided into an octet and a sestet Sidney further divides the sestet into two tercets consisting of a two-line question followed by a one-line question. The final tercet also contains a couplet, unusual for a Petrarchan sonnet. The octet poses a problem or reflects on reality and the sestet comments on the problem or proposes a solution. The rhyme scheme for the octet is abbaabba. The typical rhyme scheme for a sestet is cdecde or cdcdcd. Sonnet 31 is a variation of this—cdcdee. Most end rhymes are masculine. With how sad steps, O Moon, thou climb'st the skies !   How silently, and with how wan a face !  What, may it be that even in heavenly place  That busy archer his sharp arrows tries?  Sure, if that long-with-love-acquainted eyes  Can judge of love, thou feel'st a lover's case;  I read it in thy looks;  thy languisht grace  To me that feel the like, thy state descries.  Then, even of fellowship, O Moon, tell me,  Is constant love deemed there but want of wit?  Are beauties there as proud as here they be?  Do they above love to be loved, and yet  Those lovers scorn whom that love doth possess?  Do they call virtue there, ungratefulness? A B C D E Octet Sestet Robert Harter, 2014

Rhythm and Meter Iambic pentameter provides the poem a steady, rhythmic feeling that can be manipulated through the use of caesura. Elision—omission of a syllable in a word— allows the poet to maintain the meter. Rhyme scheme is nontraditional for an Italian sonnet. The break occurs with the volta in which he asks rhetorical questions that illustrate the problems he has with his lover. Robert Harter, 2014

Astrophil, a Petrarchan Lover Lover derives from the sonnets of Petrarch. The lover yearns for a beautiful woman whom he idolizes. The affection of the lover is unrequited. As a result, the lover suffers and freezes: Sir Philip Sidney’s love for Penelope; Petrarch’s love for a woman named Laura; Romeo's initial love for Rosaline in Romeo and Juliet. Astrophil yearns for Stella, and in Sonnet 31 he notices that same yearning for love in the moon. Astrophil and Stella Robert Harter, 2014

Poetic Devices This entire sonnet is an example of pathetic fallacy. The moon is personified as having experienced loss in love, just like Astrophil in order to project Astrophil’s (and Sir Philip’s) own feelings about love onto the moon Poetic Conceit is an extended metaphor that uses the moon to represent Astrophil and his feelings. The moon is made to feel like a Petrarchan Lover, something that is both implausible and completely convincing. Robert Harter, 2014

Symbolism and Imagery The moon is a symbol of subtlety as it gets its light from the sun. Sidney uses this to contemplate the subtleties of love and his feelings through Astrophil. The moon is also a symbol of wonder; this comes into play as Astrophil wonders about the nature of love. The descriptions of the moon (“sad steps, wan face, languished grace”) all provide imagery of Astrophil’s own demeanor and feelings and, by extension, those of Sir Philip Sidney. The moon is also a symbol of lunacy; Sidney is perhaps suggesting that love is maddening? Robert Harter, 2014

Purpose Sonnet highlights the frustrations of unrequited love. In the process, the speaker questions the heavens about the torments of love to locate another being that has experienced the same pain. Sonnet 31 is part of the larger sonnet cycle, Astrophil and Stella. Sidney’s stated purpose was the hope that the one he loved (Penelope) would return his affections if she read the entire cycle. Robert Harter, 2014

Content Astrophil feels lovesick as he watches the moon rise. He notices the moon looks as lovesick as he. Perhaps the moon is a Petrarchan lover? He wonders what love is like in the heavens, where the moon lives. The tone is sorrowful and bitter. He asks the Moon the following: Are devoted lovers also considered idiots? Are women as proud as men? Do those women desire love, but scoff at those who offer it? Is ungratefulness considered a virtue? Robert Harter, 2014

The caesura stresses the moon’s role in the poem as well as its reflected emotion. The two exclamation marks in the first two lines call for a complete stop in the poem. This calls attention to the opening lines and the conceit used throughout the poem. Apostrophe: Astrophil addresses an object which cannot respond – the moon. This highlights the loneliness Astrophil feels. Moon is personified so that the speaker can identify with it. With how sad steps, O Moon, thou climb'st the skies !  How silently, and with how wan a face !  “Wan…face, a pun, refers to the waning moon or the speakers pale, unhappy face. This pun creates pathetic fallacy as an emotion is ascribed to a nonhuman entity. Alliteration of “sad steps” and “with how wan a face” brings attention to the emotions attributed to the moon. The sibilance also used with the “s” sounds in these first too lines stress the sadness of the speaker’s tone. Robert Harter, 2014

The Assonance of the short “a” sound creates a sense of euphony to reveal the romantic side of Astrophil Elision maintains a constant meter with emphasis on the important syllables. Caesura makes “What” an expletive that reinforces speaker’s questions. What, may it be that ev’n in heav’nly place  That busy archer his sharp arrows tries?  Allusion to Cupid is appropriate because Cupid’s arrows are “sharp” and reflect the pain he feels. Diction: The use of the word “sharp” implies that Cupid inflicts pain, not happiness. Robert Harter, 2014

The use of hyphens turns the alliterative “long-with-love-acquainted” into a one-word modifier for “eyes” that accentuates the speaker’s feelings and the length of time that he has been in love. Synecdoche: “Eyes” refer to Astrophil and reinforces the idea that he can judge the moon by looks alone. Sure, if that long-with-love-acquainted eyes  Can judge of love, thou feel'st a lover's case; The affirmative “sure” shows that Astrophil is confident that the moon feels as he does. Metaphysical Conceit: The moon can’t feel like a lover, but this claim is still convincing. Robert Harter, 2014

The pathetic fallacy gives the moon emotions with which the speaker can identify. Diction: “Languished” means to grow weak from deep sorrow. The diction is rather morose and sets the sullen tone of the poem. I read it in thy looks;  thy languisht grace  To me that feel the like, thy state descries. Inverted syntax places emphasis on speaker’s emotions. Robert Harter, 2014

Are beauties there as proud as here they be? Diction: “Constant love” sounds more positive than persistent or incessant love. A reference to the first line of the octet. Apostrophe allows for the sestet to begin like the sestet. Shift Then, even of fellowship, O Moon, tell me,  Is constant love deemed there but want of wit? Are beauties there as proud as here they be?  Alliteration: “Want of wit” calls attention to just how harshly constant love is received. Hyperbole: The rhetorical questions in the sestet all exaggerate how love is received. Robert Harter, 2014

Assonance: “Do they above love to be loved”, this creates euphony in association with the word love. This is exactly how a lover would speak. Rhetorical questions provide insight into the aspects of love that upset the speaker. Internal Rhyme: The rhyme of “above” and “love” add to the sweet connotation of love. Do they above love to be loved, and yet  Those lovers scorn whom that love doth possess?  Do they call virtue there, ungratefulness? Syntax: This line is inverted and really means “Is ungratefulness a virtue?” This allows for ambiguity because it may be interpreted as Astrophil admitting that he calls Stella’s virtue ungratefulness. Rhyming Couplet breaks the traditional Petrarchan Sonnet form, but allows for a certain finality to the poem. Diction: “Scorn” is a mixture of hatred and ridicule. Robert Harter, 2014

The Shift The shift occurs in line 9, the beginning of the sestet. The shift is subtle; Astrophil moves from noting the moon’s languishing in the octet to his own feelings of bitterness. He questions the moon’s experiences with love as compared to his feelings on earth. The sestet is less about Astrophil’s connection with the moon and more about his own sorrow 1 With how sad steps, O Moon, thou climb'st the skies !  2 How silently, and with how wan a face !  3 What, may it be that even in heavenly place  4 That busy archer his sharp arrows tries?  5 Sure, if that long with love-acquainted eyes  6 Can judge of love, thou feel'st a lover's case;  7 I read it in thy looks;  thy languisht grace  8 To me that feel the like, thy state descries.  9 Then, even of fellowship, O Moon, tell me,  10 Is constant love deemed there but want of wit?  11 Are beauties there as proud as here they be?  12 Do they above love to be loved, and yet  13 Those lovers scorn whom that love doth possess?  14 Do they call virtue there, ungratefulness? Octet Sestet Robert Harter, 2014

Works Cited https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090419133124AAkjJoV https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100825143412AAJmQpr http://blogs.hanover.edu/astrophil/tag/synecdoche/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penelope_Blount,_Countess_of_Devonshire http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrarchan_sonnet http://literary-devices.com/ http://voices.yahoo.com/analysis-sir-philip-sidneys-astrophil-stella-10930334.html http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-analysis-sidneys-sonnet-31-44897 http://www.googleimages.com http://www.gradesaver.com/astrophil-and-stella/study-guide/section1/ http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/sidbio.htm Robert Harter, 2014

FIN Robert Harter, 2014