English Literature: Week 9

Those who find themselves particularly taken with both Spenser and Sidney (who follows) may want to investigate the curious poem called “Astrophel”, which is a long “Pastorall Elegie vpon the death of the most Noble and valorous Knight, Sir Philip Sidney”.

The excellent Luminarium site offers some biographical information on Spenser here.

Sir Philip Sidney:

Sel. from Arcadia, p. 182.
Astrophil and Stella :
- Sonnet 31, p. 182.
- The remainder are to be gathered on the Web here; some others are also to be found as noted specifically below. Please prepare a brief (ca. 5 min.) class presentation on the one assigned you (the assignments will be sent out by regular email), but read them all. You are free of course to read as many more as you like, and if you find one you like better than what has been assigned you, let me know: perhaps we can arrange a switch. In reading these, be mindful of the fact that spelling in Elizabethan England was extremely flexible. The Web edition uses older spellings: “Astrophel” instead of “Astrophil”; i can be a j; u can be a v; and extra “e” pops up almost anywhere.
  The class presentation should be a short discussion of the structure and imagery of the poem, and an examination of how it achieves its effects. Where does the sonnet “break”? What is its meter and rhyme scheme (you may need to refer to the appendix of the textbook for the appropriate terms). Have your presentation of a paragraph or two typed out ahead of time and be ready to paste it in so we can spend the time discussing it.
  The following links represent a variety of locations, including the Luminarium site of Mediaeval and Renaissance literature, the University of Oregon, and others.
  - 1. “Loving in truth” -- I've done this myself and posted it here to give you an idea what I'm looking for.
  - 2. “Not at first sight”
  - 3. “Let dainty wits...”
  - 5. “It is most true...”
  - 7. “When Nature made her chief worke...”
  - 9. “Queen Virtues Court, which some call...”
  - 15. “You that do search for every purling spring...”
  - 17. “His Mother dear...”
  - 18. “With what sharp checks...”
  - 20. “Fly, fly...”
  - 23. “The curious wits...”
  - 27. “Because I oft in dark abstracted wise...”
  - 35. “What may words say...”
  - 41. “Having this day my horse...”
  - 47. “What, have I thus betray'd...”
  - 49. “I on my horse...”
  - 64. “No more, my dear...”
  - 68. “Stella, the only plane of my light...”
“Thou Blind Man's Mark”, p. 183.

The Luminarium site offers biographical information on Sidney as well as more of his work.

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