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Reading Between the Lines:
Soul Laid Bare for Pity’s Sake
Pity, in some circumstances, can be described as an emotion stronger than love. Of course, love is preferred over pity. But, consider this, loving someone so much, that the fact that it isn’t reciprocated doesn’t matter. Imagine longing for someone so deeply that any acknowledgment, however negative from them suffices. Sydney pours his heart out in “Stella Oft Sees the Very Face of Woe” (Sonnet 45), showing the poet’s desperation through the language he used, in turn creating the imagery and the underlying tone imprinted on the very core of this piece. This essay will explore the language, imagery and tone of this poem, in order to better understand Sidney’s feelings while he wrote it, how he has related them to those of the woman he loved, and his desperate plea for her attention.
The diction Sidney uses in Sonnet 45 conveys his discontent at the state of affairs between himself and his unrequited love, personified as the character Stella, clearly and makes the reader connect with him in his plight. In the first three lines, Sidney’s autobiographical character, Astrophil describes his emotions, telling the reader “Stella oft sees the very face of woe / Painted in my beclouded stormy face / But cannot skill to pity my disgrace” (lines 1-3). Stella often witnesses Astrophil in his woe. “Woe” is used to communicate complete and utter misery; he is grieving over his love for her because she does not care. “Beclouded and stormy” is a metaphor for how open and raw he is, it is impossible to disguise the power of a storm, and he is unable to disguise the way he is feeling. Essentially, he wears his heart on his sleeve. He continues by saying that despite all of this, his depression and how he knows his inability to hide it, she will not even so much as pity him in his vulnerability. Stella cannot appreciate what he is going through because she is incapable of making the distinction between fantasy and reality; Sidney laments this by creating a very clear image of the scenario.
In the segment following the confession of his emotional dilemma, it becomes apparent that Sidney is trying to bring this particular image through in this poem; Stella’s indifference toward him, her inability to see the similarity between a fairytale, real life events and the consequences of such, that she herself is the cause. He speaks of her knowing that she is the source of his dismay, but seeming not to pay it any mind. But, when she heard a love story, she felt so much pity for the lovers that did not yet experience a hardship so far in their relationship, it moved her deeply enough to make her cry hysterical tears over something that did not even happen! (lines 4-8). This depresses and frustrates Astrophil all the more because it reinforces what he already knows; which is again that Stella is well-aware of what she stirs in him, but dismisses it, turning a cold shoulder and is taken by a work of fiction rather than the world around her. She is the hard hearted lady, with no concern for the one whose day she can brighten with so much as a glance or smile. Her sentiment and ignorance lays the foundation for the overall tone that echoes throughout this sonnet.
The underlying tone is melancholy, desperate. The following portion of the sonnet shows Astrophil’s last futile request for his love’s fondness and his despair as he recognizes it is in vain. “Alas, if fancy, drawn by imaged things / Though false, yet with free scope, more grace doth breed / Than servant’s wrack, where new doubt
honor brings; / Then think, my dear, that you in me do read / Of lovers’ ruin some sad tragedy (lines 9-13). He is proposing an idea to Stella; if she is so touched by something fictitious, then to look at him and not see a man, but a story. More specifically, he wants her to see him as a tragedy, of lovers’ suffering, so that she might finally understand him. If the preceding lines are analyzed with prosody in mind, Astrophil’s pain becomes almost palpable. Read lines 10-13 aloud and take care to pause at the commas, a choked voice is created, as if the one speaking is one the verge of tears. Stressing the last word of each makes this even more evident. He is begging, frantic, for her to acknowledge him. At this point in the poem, Astrophil has abandoned all hope of her returning the love he has, and will settle for any sort of emotion from her at all, even pity.
Sidney’s “Sonnet 45” confides to the reader his internal distress over his object of affection, her lack there of for him and how those things arouse a desperate plea for her attention. He makes the reader become involved with his quandary through the language, imagery and tone of this work. Sidney’s fictional self, Astrophil, is so involved in his love for Stella, so immersed, that he will take any sort of recognition her can from her, any emotional connectional at all. Love is no longer his main concern with her as in some of his other sonnets with her as his muse; he is a defeated man. And as such, he offers her a final ultimatum: If she cannot love him, pity the story he has become. “I am not I, pity the tale of me” (line 14).
Yes, I'm aware it's repetitive. Be gentle, it's my first close reading essay.
-Sacrifice
Reading Between the Lines:
Soul Laid Bare for Pity’s Sake
Pity, in some circumstances, can be described as an emotion stronger than love. Of course, love is preferred over pity. But, consider this, loving someone so much, that the fact that it isn’t reciprocated doesn’t matter. Imagine longing for someone so deeply that any acknowledgment, however negative from them suffices. Sydney pours his heart out in “Stella Oft Sees the Very Face of Woe” (Sonnet 45), showing the poet’s desperation through the language he used, in turn creating the imagery and the underlying tone imprinted on the very core of this piece. This essay will explore the language, imagery and tone of this poem, in order to better understand Sidney’s feelings while he wrote it, how he has related them to those of the woman he loved, and his desperate plea for her attention.
The diction Sidney uses in Sonnet 45 conveys his discontent at the state of affairs between himself and his unrequited love, personified as the character Stella, clearly and makes the reader connect with him in his plight. In the first three lines, Sidney’s autobiographical character, Astrophil describes his emotions, telling the reader “Stella oft sees the very face of woe / Painted in my beclouded stormy face / But cannot skill to pity my disgrace” (lines 1-3). Stella often witnesses Astrophil in his woe. “Woe” is used to communicate complete and utter misery; he is grieving over his love for her because she does not care. “Beclouded and stormy” is a metaphor for how open and raw he is, it is impossible to disguise the power of a storm, and he is unable to disguise the way he is feeling. Essentially, he wears his heart on his sleeve. He continues by saying that despite all of this, his depression and how he knows his inability to hide it, she will not even so much as pity him in his vulnerability. Stella cannot appreciate what he is going through because she is incapable of making the distinction between fantasy and reality; Sidney laments this by creating a very clear image of the scenario.
In the segment following the confession of his emotional dilemma, it becomes apparent that Sidney is trying to bring this particular image through in this poem; Stella’s indifference toward him, her inability to see the similarity between a fairytale, real life events and the consequences of such, that she herself is the cause. He speaks of her knowing that she is the source of his dismay, but seeming not to pay it any mind. But, when she heard a love story, she felt so much pity for the lovers that did not yet experience a hardship so far in their relationship, it moved her deeply enough to make her cry hysterical tears over something that did not even happen! (lines 4-8). This depresses and frustrates Astrophil all the more because it reinforces what he already knows; which is again that Stella is well-aware of what she stirs in him, but dismisses it, turning a cold shoulder and is taken by a work of fiction rather than the world around her. She is the hard hearted lady, with no concern for the one whose day she can brighten with so much as a glance or smile. Her sentiment and ignorance lays the foundation for the overall tone that echoes throughout this sonnet.
The underlying tone is melancholy, desperate. The following portion of the sonnet shows Astrophil’s last futile request for his love’s fondness and his despair as he recognizes it is in vain. “Alas, if fancy, drawn by imaged things / Though false, yet with free scope, more grace doth breed / Than servant’s wrack, where new doubt
honor brings; / Then think, my dear, that you in me do read / Of lovers’ ruin some sad tragedy (lines 9-13). He is proposing an idea to Stella; if she is so touched by something fictitious, then to look at him and not see a man, but a story. More specifically, he wants her to see him as a tragedy, of lovers’ suffering, so that she might finally understand him. If the preceding lines are analyzed with prosody in mind, Astrophil’s pain becomes almost palpable. Read lines 10-13 aloud and take care to pause at the commas, a choked voice is created, as if the one speaking is one the verge of tears. Stressing the last word of each makes this even more evident. He is begging, frantic, for her to acknowledge him. At this point in the poem, Astrophil has abandoned all hope of her returning the love he has, and will settle for any sort of emotion from her at all, even pity.
Sidney’s “Sonnet 45” confides to the reader his internal distress over his object of affection, her lack there of for him and how those things arouse a desperate plea for her attention. He makes the reader become involved with his quandary through the language, imagery and tone of this work. Sidney’s fictional self, Astrophil, is so involved in his love for Stella, so immersed, that he will take any sort of recognition her can from her, any emotional connectional at all. Love is no longer his main concern with her as in some of his other sonnets with her as his muse; he is a defeated man. And as such, he offers her a final ultimatum: If she cannot love him, pity the story he has become. “I am not I, pity the tale of me” (line 14).
Yes, I'm aware it's repetitive. Be gentle, it's my first close reading essay.
-Sacrifice
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SF Bay Area
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