1. The author opens this first sonnet by explaining his motivation for composing the sonnet sequence. He believes that if his love were 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.

The author also describes his difficulties in composing the sonnet sequence. He has struggled to express the pain and misery of his emotions and has tried to look at other poets' works in order to gain inspiration. Still, he has been unsuccessful. Finally, the author has realized that the only way to fully express his love for Stella in his poetry is to write from his heart.

Analysis: Sidney's actions of writing about how to compose a love sonnet allow him to do just that: compose a love sonnet. 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.

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. At first he bemoaned his loss of liberty at the hands of love, but now, his emotions run too deep to allow him to make even that small complaint about the circumstances. He praises his slavery and spends his time trying to obscure the truth of his situation.

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. 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. 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 only can only mirror what already exists in her.

Analysis: The sonnet begins with rich imagery meant to evoke the Muses, the nine sister goddesses who were thought to embody the arts and inspire all creative imagination. 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 Astrophel'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. Astrophel 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 Astrophel's character, Virtue should just ignore them. Astrophel 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. Astrophel argues that the image of Stella in Astrophel'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. In doing so, the poem also creates a different view of Astrophel as the lover. Astrophel 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, Astrophel becomes gentler as he begins to describe Stella. Stella's image is enough convince Virtue to fall in love, but Astrophel 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 sonnet 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 the first thirteen lines is used in the last line to prove his final truth: that he must love Stella. The closing phrase is the first deeply personal note of the poem, and it gains its power from the contrast with the previous thirteen lines. Astrophel agrees to become a "rebel to Nature" and a "foole" 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). 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. 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 sonnet opens with a riddle: "What Nature made her chiefe worke, Stella's eyes, / In colour blacke, why wrapt she beames so bright?" Astrophel lists several possible answers to the riddle. It could be for the aesthetic effect (since Stella's black eyes set off her fair skin). 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: Astrophel devotes almost the entire poem to praising Stella's eyes. Yet, nothing in the poem is certain (none of the reasons is accurate) until the witty couplet at the end of the poem. 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 Astrophel. 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. Astrophel describes the voyage of Cupid from his native home in Greece to Astrophel'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. When her face turned out to be cold, Love moved into Astrophel's heart, where the flames of Astrophel's 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 Astrophel'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. Astrophel fears that perhaps Stella is immune to love.

9. Astrophel 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: Astrophel 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. Compared to this wealth, Astrophel is nothing but a pauper who tracks in ink and paper. He recognizes that he is unworthy of entering "Queen Virtue's Court."

10. Astrophel 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 Astrophel's mind. Even if Reason did continue to fight, Astrophel 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. Astrophel possesses a tone of familiar contempt for Reason, declaring that Reason is well served in his defeat. Astrophel 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, Astrophel emphasizes that public standards of reason and virtue are irrelevant in the private world of love.

11. Astrophel 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. Astrophel 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, Astrophel 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: Astrophel 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. Astrophel 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 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 Astrophel's friend, is made up of desire and sinful thoughts. In the final sestet, Astrophel 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, Astrophel 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, Astrophel is happy to accept that view and embrace his sinful state.

15. Astrophel directs this sonnet to other poets, specifically those who strive to write their sonnets with far-fetched metaphors and florid language. Whether these other poets try to channel imagery from ancient mythology or use the dictionary to find rhymes, Astrophel asserts that they are taking the wrong route in writing. If they need to use these alternative paths, they clearly do not possess the inner love that inspires poetry and, ultimately, they will plagiarize other poets. All that a poet needs for original inspiration, Astrophel declares, is a single look at Stella.

Analysis: Sidney also critiques plagiarism and imitation in sonnets 1, 3, and 6. As in the other sonnets, Sidney maintains that inspiration is only lacking in poetry if it does not stem directly from the heart. His muse is Stella, and he does not need to use the methods of other poets (the dictionary, mythological images, and so on) in order to express his true feelings. This sonnet is simultaneously tongue-in-cheek because, although he may not plagiarize, Sidney does utilize classical mythology and florid language in other sonnets in this sequence.

16. Astrophel describes his loves before he first beheld Stella. He saw beautiful women and, as a hot-blooded young man, he became attracted to them. Believing that this emotion was love, Astrophel mocked the other men who claimed to be filled with such suffering from love. Since he did not feel the flames of love, he believed that the other men were simply cowards or weak. But then Astrophel saw Stella, and suddenly he learned the truth of the love that the others had suffered.

Analysis: Astrophel is unable to determine whether his first glimpse of Stella was a curse or a blessing. Although he finally learned the true meaning of love through his sight of her, he also now undergoes terrible suffering because of it. Love is described as a sort of poison that appeals to lovers even as it drains their lives away. Astrophel also describes the situation as a lesson in a classroom. He was ill educated about love before Stella, and she opened his eyes to a new world and a new knowledge. But, he asks, what was the price of that knowledge?

17. Venus fears that Mars's affection for her is waning, and she asks Cupid to shoot him with his darts. Fearing Mars's anger at him if he agrees, Cupid refuses his mother's request. In a violent rage, Venus pushes Cupid from her lap and breaks his bow and all of his arrows into pieces. Cupid's grandmother, Nature, takes pity on him and gives him two new bows, formed from Stella's eyebrows, and a multitude of arrows, formed from Stella's eyes. Happy with his new weapons, Cupid immediately begins to test them out and, as Astrophel sheepishly admits, Astrophel gets in his way.

Analysis: Astrophel uses a theme from classical mythology in order to praise Stella's beauty. Stella's eyebrows become Cupid's new bows while her eyes become the arrows, a fact that elevates her beauty to a celestial level; her eyebrows and eyes are heavenly enough to constitute the primary weapon of Love. Ironically, Cupid uses his new weapon to pierce Astrophel's heart and make him fall in love with Stella. The weapon of his love and the object of his affection both involve the same woman.

18. The sonnet begins with a sense of regret for Astrophel's loss of reason and rationality. Then he remembers his love for Stella and wishes that he had more than his reason to give up for her. Meditating on his emotions, Astrophel imagines himself as a prodigal son who is bankrupt. He states the case for reason, rationality, and virtue and realizes that he has lost himself. Yet, he asserts himself through the voice that appears in the thirteenth line of the poem and abandons any hope of regaining himself.

Analysis: The sonnet does not present its case for love in a dramatic way. Astrophel acknowledges that he has lost his reason and rationality, and he accepts it. There is only a gentle movement away from the criticism and judgment of the world. He seems even to present a quiet, almost cheerful shrug of his shoulders.

19. Astrophel describes how his love for Stella is destroying him. His heartstrings on Cupid's bow are completely destroyed, but he continues to embrace his destruction at Stella's hands. He revels in his love but then feels shame, just as he runs willingly toward Stella, repenting his actions even as he runs. Although he knows that all of his poems will not affect her feelings toward him, he will continue to write them at Love's urging.

Analysis: Sidney uses a series of contractions to express Astrophel's lack of control over his love for Stella. Even though he recognizes that his efforts are in vain (even the words he writes in his poetry warn him of this), he is unable to stop loving Stella. Moreover, through his love for Stella, he is beginning to fall into a moral decline. The love poetry he writes for her is evidence of this decline.

20. In this sonnet, Astrophel describes the process of falling in love with Stella, an action that begins with the poet's first sight of her. He is ambushed by Cupid, hiding in Stella's lovely, black eyes. Through each of Stella's glances toward him, Astrophel is attacked by Cupid's darts. Though he sees the darts coming toward him ("motions of lightning' grace"), he is unable to escape before they pierce his heart.

Analysis: Sidney takes the common Renaissance understanding of love (that love is transmitted through the eyes) and redirects the tone via a hunting scene. With his first sight of Stella, Astrophel warns his hunting companions to flee. He dramatizes love as a sort of ambush; he is no longer the hunter, having become the hunted. Yet, this ambush is still playful; Astrophel welcomes the betrayal at the hands of Cupid.

21. Astrophel is concerned with his difficulty in maintaining reason in his life. An outside speaker begins to criticize his behavior, arguing that his love for Stella directly challenges his training and expectations for life, as well as his intelligence. The speaker describes love as "coltish" and irrational and emphasizes that Astrophel's behavior will be detrimental to his public position. At the end of the poem, Astrophel gives his reply. It has little to do with the rest of the poem and his friend's criticism, remaining independent of outside judgment.

Analysis: The sonnet ultimately defends Astrophel against the attack of an outside observer. In this case, the attacker is a friend who is concerned about Astrophel's behavior and seeming loss of reason in his love for Stella. The defense is informal, with its casual "sure" and "my friend," while Astrophel stands firm behind his love. Love may be disorderly and outside of the realm of nature but, as Astrophel innocently asks, "Is there anyone in the world as beautiful as Stella?" Similar to Sonnet 18, this sonnet does not argue violently for love; Astrophel simply listens to the criticism of the outside observer and then moves on, unchanged in his affection.

22. On a day when the sun was at its hottest and not obscured by any clouds, several ladies of the Court went for a walk. Each of the women was protected from the sun with fans, with the exception of Stella, who went outside completely unprotected. Astrophel questions Stella's decision to face the sun unprotected; he suggests that it is either because Stella wished to mirror the sun in its openness or because she was careless of her own beauty. All of the ladies became sunburned except for Stella. As Astrophel explains, while the sun burned all of the other women, it merely kissed Stella.

Analysis: In this sonnet, Astrophel continues to praise Stella's beauty and compare it to transcendental forces. In this case, Stella's beauty is unique in comparison with the other ladies of the Court-and the sun itself is entranced. While the other ladies are common and thus are sunburned, Stella receives a gentle kiss from the sun, being a sort of kindred spirit.

23. The intellectual scholars recognize a bored thoughtfulness in Astrophel's eyes and attempt to guess the reason behind it. Some of them believe that Astrophel is becoming inspired to write a new non-poetic work. Others believe that he has political aspirations because the prince is trying his service. Still others believe that Astrophel is succumbing to his ambition and that his brain is held captive in the question for higher social or intellectual position. Yet all of the scholars are mistaken. The only thing actually in Astrophel's thoughts is Stella.

Analysis: The scholars believe that Astrophel's distraction is due to a variety of different causes, but none of them suspects love. Each group assigns a different explanation to his behavior, expressing their own anxieties about social position and political ambition. Ironically, all of their concerns are for nothing. They cannot comprehend that Astrophel is distracted by romantic love rather than ambition.

24. Astrophel discusses the rich men in the world who are morally corrupt and wicked in their activities. They strive to become wealthy and powerful, even at the detriment of all of those around them. Even these corrupt men, Astrophel asserts, are at least able to recognize the value of something that they hold in their hands. The "rich fool," on the other hand, is so blind and immoral that he is unable to recognize the beauty and worth of his wife, Stella. In a just world, his abuse of Stella would result in his exile from her presence forever.

Analysis: The term "rich" in this sonnet is a reference to Lord Robert Rich, the husband of Penelope Devereux. According to historical sources, Penelope was unhappy in her marriage with Lord Rich, a fact that added to Sidney's obvious rancor toward him. Sidney has a great deal of disdain for Lord Rich because of his inability to recognize his wife's superior qualities. As a result, Sidney suggests that the only just solution would be for Lord Rich to withdraw from his marriage.

25. Astrophel begins by citing Plato, the wisest scholar. In the Phaedrus, Plato declares that if an individual saw Virtue in a physical form, that individual would immediately fall in love with it. Astrophel acknowledges the truth of this declaration. He declares that Virtue took the physical form of Stella and that he himself fell in love with her.

Analysis: This sonnet has an interesting interplay between Love and Reason, two forces that are frequently set in opposition in the sonnet sequence. In the first eight lines, Astrophel refers to Reason through Plato, citing his work and wisdom. Plato seems to redefine the only true love as the love of Reason and Virtue. In the last six lines of the sonnet, Astrophel returns to the theme of his love for Stella. By using Plato's rational declaration about Virtue, however, Astrophel is able to justify his love for Stella, briefly combining Love and Reason.

26. Astrophel responds to scholars who deride astrology and do not recognize the wonders of the stars in the sky. He argues that Nature was not idle; there must have been an excellent reason for the formation of the stars. Even if he did not believe this statement, Astrophel argues, he is constantly reminded of the wonder of the heavens because of the two stars in Stella's face, her eyes.

Analysis: This is yet another example of Astrophel's praise for Stella through a comparison with higher powers, focusing again on her eyes. In this case, he does not refer to classical mythology but references the stars in the sky, making another pun on Stella's name. Even if his rational knowledge of astrology fails him, Stella's eyes are sufficient to convince him of the truth.

27. Astrophel describes the reactions of the Court to his behavior after he falls in love with Stella. He is often speechless in company and sits alone among many. As a result, the rest of the Court believes that he is poisoned by pride, that he is only interested in himself and despises those around him. Astrophel realizes, however, that he does not suffer from pride but from ambition, the ambition to transcend up to Stella's grace.

Analysis: This sonnet refers to an issue that was common in the early modern period: love versus politics. The replacement of politics with love as the focus of the author's world was thought to diminish the speaker's ability to function in politics. Love undermines the speaker's credibility in the Court and proves the idea that love and poetry makes a person unsuited for a political career.

28. Astrophel directs this poem at poets who interpret poetry allegorically. He does not write allegories in his poetry-he only says exactly what he means. When he says the name "Stella," for example, he refers solely to Stella, the woman he loves. He does not use any metaphorical ways to prove his love. Instead, he simply reads out the love that burns in his heart.

Analysis: Astrophel argues against the practice of interpreting poetry as an allegory. He believes that the text of a poem should always refer to the author's intention; the words should not signify any another meaning. As a result, his poetry is simple but true. Of course, this is deeply ironic if we interpret the whole sequence as an allegory in which Astrophel represents Sidney and Stella is Penelope.

29. This sonnet presents an elaborate fiction of Cupid as a mighty warlord who conquers the frontier through Stella's influence. Astrophel compares Stella's behavior to weak lords who are neighbored by powerful kings. Just like them, Stella protects herself from Love by giving him permission to conquer all the coastal towns surrounding him. So, while her heart escapes from being Love's prisoner, all of those around her are smitten. Because Astrophel lives on the coast, he in particular becomes a true slave to Love.

Analysis: Astrophel no longer recognizes any difference between Stella and Love. In this sonnet in particular, Stella has become Cupid's stronghold: his food, his tents, his armor, and so on. Once again, however, Stella is immune to Love's charms. In a political move, she makes a deal with Love that allows him to reign over her neighboring lands so long as he never attempts to reign over her.

30. People ask Astrophel questions about social and political issues that are troubling the Court. They ask his opinion about the Turkish empire and whether the Polish king will invade Russia. They ask if the three parts of France (the Catholics, the Protestant Huguenots, and the moderate Politiques) will ever unite and if the Germans (cited as "Dutch") will boast the parliament of the Holy Roman Empire. They ask how the Dutch are coping with the loss of five Dutch towns to Spain (in 1581-1582) and then refer to the unstable political situation in Scotland. But Astrophel has no interest in these questions because he only thinks of Stella.

Analysis: The moon and horns of the first two lines refer to the Islamic crescent. The Islamic Turkish Empire posed a serious threat to Europe during this period. In fact, all of the issues that are presented in this sonnet refer to matters that were of importance to England and particularly important to Sidney himself.

31. Astrophel sees the moon climbing in the sky at night, and he recognizes in its pale face the same lovesickness that he experiences. He suggests that, perhaps even in the heights of the sky, Cupid's arrows are powerful enough to shoot the moon. Then, Astrophel becomes completely certain that the moon is lovesick. He recognizes its looks and its languishing grace because they are the same looks and grace that he recognizes in himself. He asks the moon what life and love are like upon its surface. He asks: Is the faithful lover viewed as an idiot? Are beautiful women as proud as they are on earth? Do they desire love and attention but scorn those who give it to them? Do they call ungratefulness a virtue?

Analysis: Sidney's connection to the moon is an example of a "pathetic fallacy" in which elements of nature appear to experience human emotions. At first Sidney describes the moon in accordance with classical mythology, as an individual being. Yet, his insistence that the moon is lovesick does not make sense in this context because the goddess of the moon is Diana, a perpetual virgin who is not affected by love. Then, Sidney switches his perception of the moon to adhere to Copernican belief, and he describes the moon as a planet. The series of questions he asks expresses his desire for a logical explanation of Stella's behavior. He wants to know if the scorn his love receives at her hands is limited to the earth.

32. Morpheus, the god of dreams and the son of the god of sleep, has a close relationship with Astrophel. Morpheus has such a power over him that Astrophel always dreams of Stella. Astrophel asks the god how he can create such a brilliant image of Stella in his head. Where does he find the ivory, rubies, pearl, and gold to create her image so well? Morpheus responds mockingly, declaring that no land can contain such brilliant wealth. The image of Stella that appears in Astrophel's dreams comes directly from the image that is contained in his heart.

Analysis: This sonnet is a part of Sidney's mini-sequence on sleep, made up of Sonnets 32, 38, and 39. Sidney refers to the common Renaissance belief that the heart contains an image of the poet's mistress. Astrophel recognizes that Stella's image in his heart is the source of his poetry and creative strength.

33. Astrophel bemoans his unhappy state, failing to recognize his love for Stella until after she married another man. He cannot blame anyone else for his misfortune because he was the cause of his unhappiness: "to myself myself did give the blow." Astrophel was blinded by his wit and rationality, so much so that he was unable to recognize the beautiful "day" that was rising near him, namely, Stella.

Analysis: This sonnet is thought by contemporary critics to refer to Astrophel/Sidney's regret that he did not marry Stella/Penelope when he had the opportunity. The idea is that he did not marry her because he was not yet in love with her. Now, however, Astrophel can only punish himself for missing his one chance to obtain her.

34. This sonnet is a dialogue between Astrophel and Wit. Astrophel claims that he writes his poetry in order to ease his burdened heart. Wit asks him how reminders of his distress could possibly ease his heart. Astrophel replies that well-painted distresses can be more pleasing than the reality, but he is not ashamed to publish his troubles because his poetry may win him fame. Wit replies that this fame will be nothing more than famous foolishness in the eyes of wise men. Astrophel tries to counter this argument, declaring that wise men do not have to listen to what they view as foolishness, but Wit taunts him, asking that if his poetry will not be heard, what point is there to writing it? The sonnet concludes with an expression of Astrophel's growing doubt.

Analysis: Sidney introduces a prime audience of the poet's work, the witty courtiers. Most love poems do not address the lady and, in many cases, the lady would not have been the most appropriate audience. Sidney writes his poetry with the knowledge that a witty (that is, intelligent) audience is always looking over his shoulder. The point of this kind of poetry is not to flatter but to entertain an intelligent audience who can actually appreciate the work. This is the fact that Wit throws into Astrophel's face. His most important audience is not Stella, but the witty audience who will understand his poetry even more than she could. Thus we can understand why Sidney would count on his audience's knowledge of classical mythology and other poetic traditions.

35. Immediately following Astrophel's expression of doubt in Sonnet 34, this sonnet serves as a response to the poet's difficulty with words in the previous poem. Astrophel's speechlessness is presented as a virtue because it means that his words are not merely flattery. Then the poem shifts in focus to a discussion of the inadequacy of words to praise Stella.

Analysis: The sonnet expresses traditional anxiety about the vocabulary of love. Astrophel wonders if love can ever be verbally expressed in a way that does not transform it into flattery. The poem praises Stella through several paradoxes, incorporating figures which have dominated other sonnets up to this point in the sonnet: Honor, Reason, and Wit. In each case, love for Stella is sufficient to connect each of these virtues with its opposite while maintaining its nature: Honor is "honou'rd" as a slave; Reason "blows the cole"; and Wit learns "perfection." The poem highlights the confusion Astrophel feels upon entering Stella's world.

36. Astrophel depicts Stella as a conquering force who continuously attacks him. Love serves as her lieutenant, and her various beauties serve as her armies, marching into Astrophel's eyes and conquering him from within. Astrophel's armies and defenses have long since fallen to Stella's flag, so he wonders why she continues to attack him and make him fall more in love with her. He is already unable to escape from her power.

Analysis: In describing his love for Stella, Sidney uses the metaphor of a battle, with Stella as the victorious conqueror and himself as her willingly defeated enemy. He has already been conquered by her military strength (her beauty and sweetness), yet she continues to attack him. The military metaphor breaks at this point because no conquering force ever continues to attack a city that has already been conquered. Astrophel wishes Stella would withdraw and leave him alone with his love.

37. Astrophel presents a riddle to the readers, a riddle that designates Stella as Penelope Devereux. A beautiful nymph lives in the east, and she is rich in all qualities. She is rich in beauty, rich in renown, rich in heart, and-above all-rich in virtue. Yet, even though this nymph is rich in all things, the greatest misfortune for Astrophel is that she is a Rich.

Analysis: The puns on the term "rich" refer to Lord Robert Rich, Stella's or Penelope's husband. The east ("Aurora's court") could refer to the Rich family estate, which was in the eastern county of Essex. This sonnet was omitted from the earliest printed edition of the sonnet sequence, perhaps because it was too direct, but it was added in the official folio edition.

38. When sleep comes upon Astrophel, he finally is able to release his rational thoughts and revel in his imagination. He describes the abdication of Reason and its replacement by "Fancie's errour." Love constructs a perfect vision of Stella for Astrophel, a vision that both shines and sings. Yet, he is unable to maintain the vision and wakes up, hearing his own wailing rather than the singing of her image. When he tries to call Sleep again and regain Stella's image, he fails: Stella has "killed" Sleep with her beauty.

Analysis: Sleep offers Astrophel a type of release that he cannot obtain in his waking hours. It shields the lover from despair at Stella's seeming scorn. Most importantly, sleep allows Astrophel to see Stella's image in his mind. The vision of Stella provides one of the few moments when Astrophel is able to see her without being plagued with uncertainty and anxiety. The vision of Stella's beauty is so brilliant that it cannot be maintained, which leads to the broken rhythms of Astrophel's: "I start, look, hearke." Sidney keeps with the tone of the rest of the sonnet sequence by ensuring that visions of Stella are brilliant and fleeting.

39. Sidney personifies sleep and begins to have a conversation with it. He prays that Sleep will come and release him from his current misery. Only when he is asleep is he able to ease his suffering and stem the civil war that is waging between his heart and his head, between his love and his reason. He wonders what price he must pay in order to convince the god of Sleep to come to him, and he promises a "good tribute." Smooth pillows, a comfortable bed, and a dark, quiet room are all that he desires, if only he can persuade Sleep to come. Finally, Sidney comes up with a way to convince Sleep to come to him. When he is asleep, he argues, the image of Stella will appear in his dreams, and Sleep will be able to watch. This is the greatest tribute that he can pay.

Analysis: This is an example of a sonnet in which Sidney's persona talks to an entity other than Stella. In addition to "Sleep," Sidney also directs his speeches to the allegorical "Reason," "Love," "Queen Virtue," "Patience," "Desire," and more. In literature and rhetoric, this act of addressing something that is not a person is referred to as "apostrophe." The irony in this sonnet is very interesting. Sidney begs for Sleep to come and rescue him from his love and suffering for Stella. Yet, at the same time, an image of Stella will automatically come to his head while he is asleep. Whether he is asleep or awake, Stella is always in his mind. He prefers the Stella in his dreams because he does not have to face the reality that she is not his own.

40. Astrophel tells Stella that he has built a temple for her in his heart. He begs her to give a single thought to him and his suffering because he has sought her grace for such a long time. He then brings up the imagery of a battle, declaring that she has conquered his heart. But, as a good conqueror, she should want her new conquest to be destroyed now that she owns it. Astrophel urges Stella to give him some grace and save her temple in his heart from destruction.

Analysis: For the first time in the sonnet sequence, Astrophel appeals directly to Stella in intimate terms. She is no longer a remote figure of desire; she is actually approachable (if still on the throne of virtue). And even though he suffers, he knows that it is better to write poetry to her than to lie down and moan in despair. He hopes that the offering of his poetry will touch her heart.

41. Astrophel describes his success at a tournament in front of the court. His horsemanship and strength allowed him to attain the prize of the event, judged by members of the English court and members of the French court. Onlookers praised his skill as the result of constant practice, while others claimed that it was simply good luck. Yet, Astrophel knows that the real reason for his success was that Stella was watching him.

Analysis: The tournament that Astrophel refers to could be a tournament held at court in May 1581 when members of the French court were visiting England. Because Sidney was against Queen Elizabeth's proposed marriage with the Duc of Alençon, his victory in the tournament would have been particularly satisfying, impressing Stella as well as the French visitors. Sonnet 53 serves as a foil to Astrophel's tournament success in this sonnet and displays the negative impact of Stella's presence.

42. Astrophel praises the beauty and power of Stella's eyes. Her glances allow Love to conquer those around her while she simultaneously conquers Love himself. Whenever he sees her eyes, Astrophel forgets to nourish his own weary spirits, but he does not care. He wishes, above all, to always have her eyes shining as a zenith above him. And if he dies, it will be a triumph for Love, who caused it.

Analysis: Astrophel has no prospect of release from his love for Stella. Yet, even as the beauty of her eyes eats him away within, he still would rather have her presence close to him, even if it means his death.

43. Astrophel begins the sonnet with resignation, admitting that it is foolish of him to believe that he could have Cupid win Stella's heart. Love enjoys Stella's beautiful qualities himself, using them to make other people fall in love. When he uses her eyes, every man willingly asks permission to die for Stella. When Love uses her lips, he means to play, kissing her lips himself or making them blush red. When Cupid wants to be alone, however, he retreats into Stella's heart, where no man is found.

Analysis: Following the theme of the previous sonnet, Astrophel continues to focus on two features of Stella's face: her lips and her eyes. Cupid uses each of these features for his own amusement and to project love throughout the world. Astrophel renews his anxieties about Stella's untouchable heart, reiterating that the only place where Cupid can be alone is in Stella's heart.

44. Astrophel cannot understand why Stella is not sympathetic to his suffering for her. He argues that his pain yields the right to receive pity from any heart, especially hers. But no matter what he says, Stella refuses to give him pity and, in fact, becomes more annoyed with him the more he complains. Astrophel attempts to explain this conflict in her behavior, and finally he arrives at the conclusion. When his bitter complaints touch the "dainty doors" (her eyes) and reach the "courts of bliss" (her mind), they immediately turn into joyful music.

Analysis: Astrophel employs a complicated metaphor in order to explain Stella's coldness. Because he has presented her throughout the sonnet as kind and compassionate, her lack of pity for his suffering is very disconcerting. The only explanation that he can come up with is that Stella simply cannot hear his complaints. The beauty of her mind is such that it transforms any negative thoughts into beautiful music, so she fails to comprehend what Astrophel is actually saying to her.

45. In the first eight lines, the sonnet describes Stella's behavior. She scorns him and his suffering, but then she is filled with pity upon hearing a fable of two lovers. Even though the fable is fiction and Astrophel's suffering is real, Stella does not see fit to give him any sympathy. In the last six lines, Astrophel implores her pity. He begs her to pretend that he is also a fictitious fable so that at least she can pity the "tale of him."

Analysis: This sonnet expresses the gap between Astrophel as a poet and Astrophel as a lover. Rather than responding to her lover's suffering, Stella responds to tales of love. As a result, the world of love that Astrophel hopes to describe is reduced to nothing more than courtly mannerism and affectation. Astrophel is very critical of Stella's behavior, even though the elegance of the narrative in the poem is meant to obscure his scorn and sense of irony.

46. Astrophel once cursed Cupid, but now he feels pity for him. He and Cupid are both under Stella's control, but Cupid is even worse off. Stella tyrannizes him so much that Cupid must be in need of food and a place to live. She threatens to banish him forever from her presence, which would make Love nothing more than a homeless, despicable vagabond. Cupid is nothing more than a pupil to a stern schoolmistress and is about to be punished for missing his lessons. Astrophel intervenes on Cupid's behalf.

Analysis: Astrophel and Love are no longer at odds with one another; they are comrades suffering from the same torments at Stella's hands. In previous sonnets, Astrophel emphasizes that Love believed that he was in control of Stella, but now he has learned that he is just as much a slave as Astrophel is.

47. Astrophel begins the sonnet with a series of questions about his love for Stella. He asks himself how he could have enslaved himself to a woman who does not have any compassion for his suffering. He determines that he will not love her anymore and convinces himself with the assertion that beauty is only beauty, fleeting and superficial. Even as Astrophel has decided to free himself from the yoke of Love, he sees Stella in the distance and immediately changes his mind.

Analysis: Astrophel's anger and frustration is clear from the vehement questions he asks in the opening lines of the sonnet. He realizes that he does not deserve such treatment, that he is not a slave. The rhythm of the progression "I may, I must, I can, I will, I do" mirrors Astrophel's physical struggle to free himself from his chains of slavery. Yet, once again, Astrophel is unable to escape from his love for her. Even as he says that he does not love her, the sight of Stella makes him recognize that he is lying to himself.

48. Astrophel begs Stella not to direct her eyes ("morning stars") away from his sight. If he does not look at the light of her eyes, he is driven toward the darkness of Hell. Stella's eyes are the cause of his torment and continue to inflict incurable wounds with the darts of her glances. But Astrophel still would rather see her eyes, even as they wound him, than stay in the darkness. Moreover, he is already dying from the wounds of Love, so her continued glances will be a sort of kindness that will kill him more quickly.

Analysis: Astrophel refers to the Renaissance poetic tradition of a lover being killed by his mistress's glances. This also has additional meaning because Astrophel frequently discusses Cupid's presence in Stella's eyes. So, not only do Stella's eyes emit their own darts, but Cupid also shoots his arrows through her eyes. Astrophel asks for a sort of mercy killing at Stella's hands, begging her to continue to look at him because it will make his death easier.

49. Astrophel tries his horsemanship on his horse, and Cupid tries his on Astrophel. As Love's horse, Astrophel is saddled and bridled so that he will behave. The reins that guide his movements are humbled thoughts; his bit is made up of Reverence and Fear. Cupid's riding crop is Will, and Astrophel's own imagination and memory form the saddle. The only spur that Astrophel needs to be inspired to move forward is Desire.

Analysis: Astrophel uses an interesting layering effect with this metaphor; he is the horseman of his horse while Cupid is the horseman of him. Each element of Love's horsemanship mirrors Astrophel's own control over his horse, from the bit and reins to the saddle and spurs. Traditionally (going at least as far back as Plato), the relationship between the passions and Reason has been compared with the relationship between a horse and its rider, either with Reason keeping the passions in check with a firm hand, or with the horseman trying to drive with both the horse of Reason and the horse of Passion, each sometimes going its own way. The fact that Astrophel is being ridden by Love rather than Reason emphasizes the negative effect of his love for Stella.

50. Astrophel struggles with his emotions, and he is unable to keep them inside. His thoughts for Stella break free and form the poems making up the sonnet sequence. Yet, as Astrophel views his poems, he is filled with disappointment because the poems do not do justice to the beauty of Stella in her true form. He would like to scratch out the lines in his fury, but he is unable to do so because their first line begins with Stella's name.

Analysis: Astrophel's poetry is incapable of fully expressing his thoughts about Stella. As a poet, Astrophel fails because he cannot depict Stella as she truly is in his heart and mind. Yet, his love for her is so great that he cannot even destroy the inadequate poems that he writes, simply because they are about her.

51. In Astrophel's opinion, Stella's conversation should be reserved for those people who need to be entertained. He asks her to find someone else to amuse with her tales of court intrigues. Comparing himself to Atlas, who holds the weight of the skies, Astrophel cannot bear to hear such flippant conversation from her. His heart is in communion with Stella's eyes and, in comparison with that connection, any superficial conversation is unnecessary.

Analysis: This sonnet is both an expression of Astrophel's transcendent connection with Stella and a criticism of courtly mannerisms. Stella attempts to amuse people with her witty conversation and court gossip, but Astrophel does not have any need for this entertainment. He considers himself to be connected to Stella on a much deeper level, and her attempts to speak to him as a gossipy courtier are highly offensive to him.

52. A legal dispute has arisen between Virtue and Love, with each claiming that Stella belongs to him. Love argues that Stella's lips and eyes prove his ownership because they wear his badge of livery. Virtue counters by arguing that Stella is wholly virtuous in her soul. Although Love may lay claim to her exterior beauty, Virtue owns her inner beauty, which is what actually stirs people's hearts. Astrophel then intervenes in the dispute, declaring that Virtue can have Stella's inner soul as long as he and Love can have her body.

Analysis: This sonnet contains clear evidence of Astrophel's physical desire for Stella. The explicit sexuality in the lines undercuts Astrophel's expression of virtue and chastity in previous sonnets in the sequence. Astrophel is willing to sacrifice Stella's inner beauty to the call of Virtue, presuming it is possible, as long as he can still desire and possible possess her physical body.

53. Astrophel fights in a tournament in front of the court, and the cheers of the onlookers fill him with pride. Angry at seeing Astrophel in the armor of Mars, the god of war, Cupid is determined to remind Astrophel that Love is his master. He orders Astrophel to look at Stella. When Astrophel looks at her, her light dazzles him. He is so distracted that he does not hear the trumpet of the tournament or his opponent begin to charge. Only after he is defeated and he sees Stella's blush does Astrophel realize that he has been shamed by Love.

Analysis: Stella has the opposite effect on Astrophel in this tournament, compared with her effect in Sonnet 43. In this case, Cupid takes revenge on Astrophel for behaving as a slave to War rather than Love, and for taking part in the warlike tournament. Instead of inspiring him as in Sonnet 43, Stella's light serves solely to distract Astrophel from the task at hand. By shaming Astrophel in front of Stella and making her look on him with disdain, however, Love undermines himself.

54. Astrophel faces criticism by the "courtly Nymphs" who dominate the world of love. They claim that he cannot truly love Stella because he does not adhere to the artificial demonstrations of love: he does not breathe love to everyone or cherish a lock of his lover's hair or groan with suffering. Astrophel replies that his love for Stella is proven more by his silence, and the truth of his love is clear to those who look in his heart. In the end, the people who are the most hesitant to admit that they love are the ones who love the most.

Analysis: In order to define his own love, Astrophel provides examples of how courtly love has become nothing more than affectation. The traditional language of love is nothing more than a kind of elegant chatter in high society; it does not mean anything real. This criticism can be read as proof of Sidney's dissatisfaction with standard conventions of love poetry, specifically the Petrarchan style. In the end, it is the poet's awkwardness and hesitation that proves his love, rather than his elegant Petrarchan love poetry (although the sonnets betray Sidney's real poetic versatility).

55. Astrophel directs this sonnet to the nine Muses. He often invoked the Muses for help in writing his poetry, hoping that their skill might win him some grace from Stella. He would not use certain sad words or phrases until the Muses inspired him. Only then would he construct them in the most eloquent way to express his suffering. He has decided, however, that he is no longer going to look to the Muses for help with his poetry. The only solution, Astrophel argues, is to cry Stella's name. Her name is all the eloquence he needs.

Analysis: Sidney also incorporates this theme in Sonnets 3 and 6. The Muses may be the source of inspiration for other poets and artists, as they were for Astrophel at an earlier time, but they are no longer sufficient for Astrophel's needs. Again, he does not need any Muse but Stella to inspire him.

56. Astrophel criticizes the school of Patience for being too difficult to learn without a book. He attempted to be patient and to try to learn virtue through Stella's absence. But even now, all that he desires is a glimpse of Stella. He scorns Patience for trying to make him into a cold, stolid character, free from any passion. Astrophel ends the sonnet by making a bargain with Patience. If Patience will bring Stella to him and give her the patience to hear his confession of love, Astrophel will promise to be patient in bearing his love for her.

Analysis: Astrophel personifies Patience as a figure who attempts (but fails) to teach him patience. Astrophel scorns Patience because being patient involves not seeing Stella, which is something that is unacceptable to him. In the end, he refuses to be patient until Stella shows him some patience in return, namely, patience and acceptance for his love.

57. Astrophel wrote a poem for Stella that contained all of his most pitiful complaints and anguish for love of her. He hoped that the poem would catch Stella unawares so that she would not have time to guard herself from feeling pity. When Astrophel gave Stella the poem, she not only read it but also sang it aloud as a song. The beauty of her song affected Astrophel so much that he no longer suffered. His pains of love transformed into joy at the sweetness of her voice.

Analysis: The sonnet starts out as a sort of revenge narrative. Astrophel is determined to pain Stella with his anguish, and he wants to use the most powerful words of Woe to pierce her skin. But as soon as Stella receives the poem and then sings it, Astrophel's desire for vengeance dissipates. Her reaction to his poetry temporarily removes his suffering, and Astrophel suffers from short-term amnesia regarding his pains.

58. Astrophel introduces the debate over whether rhetoric is effective because of the words themselves or because of the way that the words are delivered. He employs an example from his personal life to prove his opinion. He wrote all of his woes and suffering into "piercing phrases" of poetry and then gave the poem to Stella. When Stella read the poem aloud, the sadness of the words was overshadowed by the delight Astrophel felt during Stella's delivery.

Analysis: In this case, Astrophel demonstrates his belief that the delivery of a poem is far more powerful than the words themselves. Through her delivery, Stella is able to transform a bitter, sad poem into a source of incredible delight for Astrophel. He asserts that it is only her "sweet breath" which causes this transformation. It seems that rhetoric also is effective when it has the right audience!

59. Half-mockingly, Astrophel asks Stella why she prefers her dog to him. He possesses all of the same qualities that the dog has and, in fact, would go further with each quality. While the dog loves, Astrophel burns with love. Though the dog may wait well, Astrophel will wait forever, never moving again. The dog may fetch a glove for her, but Astrophel will fetch his very soul to give to her. Yet, despite Astrophel's superiority, Stella still prefers the dog and allows him to sit in her lap and kiss her lips. Astrophel declares that if he were allowed to kiss her lips even once, he would abandon his wit.

Analysis: The sonnet is made up of a series of possible causes, each rejected in turn because Astrophel believes he possesses the virtue to a superior degree than Stella's pet dog. In the end, however, the only real difference between Astrophel and Stella's dog is wit. The entire sonnet is itself a logical demonstration of Astrophel's wit. Even as he assures Stella that he would gladly give up his wit for her, he reminds her (and the readers) that his wit is responsible for the humor and persuasive power of the poem; the offer is double-edged.

60. Astrophel explains why he is beginning to despair. Whenever Cupid leads him to see his love, Stella shows disdain and scorn for him. Still, whenever Astrophel disappears from Stella's view, Stella speaks of him with pity and compassion. Astrophel is unable to cope with this constant shift between Stella's love and Stella's hate.

Analysis: This sonnet is made up of a series of contradictions and ironies. When Astrophel is present, Stella scorns him; when he is absent, she pities his case. Yet, he is never able to combine the two situations and enjoy Stella's compassion in person. The last line sums up the irony of his circumstances: he can never enjoy the bliss of love without being reminded of the curse of love.

61. Astrophel assails Stella with his different confessions of love, first with sighs, then with tears, then with halting words, and finally with silence. Stella is not overwhelmed, and she maintains a clear opposition to Astrophel's love. Because Stella hates Astrophel's passionate love, Astrophel determines to rid himself of it. He asks Cupid for help to make him not love Stella until he has her permission to love.

Analysis: In an ironic twist, Astrophel must rid himself of his love for Stella in order to be worthy of her. She will appreciate only a chaste, controlled love, which Astrophel does not possess. Despite all of his entreaties, she remains firm in this declaration, and Astrophel concludes that the only solution is to remove the love for her in his heart.

62. Filled with violent passion for Stella, Astrophel calls Stella unkind. She rebuffs his advances, declaring that he should look for virtuous true love in her and nothing more. Even though she loves him, she will accept only a love that is noble and befitting her birth and social station. Stella urges Astrophel to calm the tempests of his heart and accept a virtuous love. Yet, he cannot rid himself of his passionate love, so he declares that he would rather she did not love him if a chaste, virtuous love is the only kind she will offer.

Analysis: The sonnet questions the definition of love. Astrophel is forced to define love as desire because, for him, his love for Stella has become increasingly violent and passionate. Stella's vocabulary of love is socially more appropriate and belongs to the unimpassioned public world. She refers to his love as the "tempests" of a stereotypical lover. Astrophel finally acknowledges his "Love" for what it is: a fall from grace and a fall from virtue.

63. Astrophel opens the sonnet with an address to Grammar. He urges Grammar to use its powers and wise precepts to help him win Stella. Above all else, Astrophel desires Stella, but she continues to reject his advances. After another one of his attempts, Stella says twice: "no, no," which finally allows Astrophel to use Grammar to his advantage. According to Latin grammar rules, a double negative translates into an affirmative. Thus, Astrophel claims, Stella's negative exclamation is actually an invitation.

Analysis: Astrophel attempts to use grammar rules and wordplay to convince Stella to acquiesce to his desires. Or, perhaps, he is attempting to justify his lustful behavior. If Stella continues to deny him, he will never be able to gain his desire. If he does, despite her wishes, it would count as a rape. Yet, if Stella gives Astrophel an affirmative response (even if it is through a misapplied grammatical rule), then a sexual encounter would not be a rape. Astrophel is using all the tricks and tools at his disposal.

64. In a series of violent oaths, Astrophel describes everything that has to be given up for Stella: achievement, social position, approval among wise men, scholarly intelligence, fame, and more. But he does not regret these lost things-neither Aristotle's intelligence nor Caesar's fame. Above all, Stella makes up for everything that he loses. She is both his intelligence and his virtue.

Analysis: This sonnet is made up of a pattern of repeated vows and exclamations. The insistence and violence of the first thirteen lines accumulate strength for the forceful declaration in the last line. Astrophel insists that Stella possesses more than physical beauty. Her earthly beauty is only a shadow of the virtue and true knowledge that a man can attain through the love of her.

65. Astrophel criticizes Love's behavior. When Love first came to England and was naked and isolated in the world, Astrophel allowed him to lodge in his heart. Astrophel gave Love his eyes to see the world, as well as his light, his heart, and even his life. Love refuses to pay Astrophel back in kind and does not respond to Astrophel's cries of love for Stella. At the same time, Astrophel admits that he and Love have developed a sort of kinship, in which Love carries the arrow and Astrophel carries the arrowhead.

Analysis: Astrophel feels as if he has been cheated by Love. He provided Cupid with a home and his favor, but Love has failed to respond to his suffering for Stella. In a sense, Astrophel has constructed a contract with Love (similar to the deal that he attempts to make with Patience in Sonnet 56), yet Love has failed to uphold his end of the bargain. The last line of the sonnet has a phallic connotation but also makes a reference to Sidney's family: the Sidney coat of arms has an arrowhead at its center.

66. Astrophel wonders if it is possible that Stella might return his love. He is not sure if he is simply imagining that what he desires is coming to pass. While Astrophel was gazing in a different direction, Stella looked at him. When he turned around and their eyes met, she instantly turned away with a blush. This brief moment of connection and Stella's blush are sufficient to give Astrophel his first real hope since the sequence began.

Analysis: Astrophel has suffered with his love for Stella for so long that he is confused about reality. He does not know if Stella's glance actually means something or if his imagination is running wild with hope. This sonnet provides the first evidence that Stella might feel some affection for him. Astrophel is not sure whether he should fear or rejoice.

67. Astrophel addresses Hope with a series of questions, attempting to determine if Stella's glance was a sign of love or not. He asks if Stella has suddenly taken an interest in him. He asks if Stella will seize this opportunity for love before it is too late. Then, he asks Hope if there are any other elements of Stella's glance that he missed: was she blushing more than he realized? Did she sigh for him in secret? Astrophel concludes that, no matter what the answer is, he would accept this false hope rather than a more painful truth.

Analysis: Astrophel is anxious to know the truth behind Stella's loving glance of Sonnet 66. Even as he hopes that she may love him, he wants to know the truth and asks Hope numerous questions. By the end of the sonnet, however, he realizes that he does not actually want to know the truth. The little hope that he has developed from Stella's look has given him such pleasure that he prefers it, even if it is false.

68. Astrophel asks Stella how she expects to quench the fire of his desire for her. He maintains that she is the sole reason for his passion. Her attempts to extinguish his passionate love are ineffective because her presence continues to provoke Astrophel's desire. Astrophel acknowledges that Stella's reasons are virtuous and that he should try to maintain a chaste love. Yet, all he can think is how pleasurable it would be to enjoy such a virtuous woman.

Analysis: This sonnet describes the growing conflict between Astrophel's desire for Stella and Stella's insistence on a pure, chaste love. Astrophel is unable to separate his love from his desire. Even when Stella urges him to be virtuous and think of her in a virtuous way, Astrophel cannot help but immediately think of her sexually.

69. Astrophel is filled with unspeakable joy, a joy too great to express in the words of his poetry. He urges Envy to blind itself so that it cannot see his happiness, and he calls to his friends so that he can tell them the good news. Stella has finally admitted her love for Astrophel, and she gave him the monarchy of her heart. But this love has been given with a clear condition: their love must be platonic.

Analysis: Astrophel is thrilled that Stella returns his love and that he can finally call her his own. He barely notices the condition for her love at this point; he simply tacks it on to the last line of the sonnet. Yet, Stella's insistence on a platonic relationship between the two will have disastrous consequences. Because Astrophel's love for Stella has such a strong physical element, Stella's condition will manifest itself as yet another form of torture.

70. Astrophel's Muse has been the inspiration for all of his sad and tormented sonnets. Now that Astrophel is joyful, he anticipates that the Muse will want to inspire some joyful poetry. Sadness can only be defined in terms of happiness and, like any other thing, the Muse has the capacity to smile and laugh in Astrophel's poetry, just as she once wept and moaned. Astrophel calls to his Muse to begin to write his happiness in a poem but then stops suddenly. He realizes that the best expression of his joy would be to write nothing at all.

Analysis: Poking fun at himself, Astrophel acknowledges that all of his sonnets up to this point were filled with despair and sadness. Now that he is finally happy, he is ready to write joyful poetry and break up the monotony for his poetic Muse. Ironically, Astrophel ultimately decides not to write any poetry to express his bliss. Perhaps his happiness is too great to be translated in words. Or, perhaps, Astrophel can only be inspired to write poetry when he is unhappy.

71. The first thirteen lines of the sonnet are public praise for Stella, beginning with the metaphor of a book. The observer who "reads" Stella will understand the beauty and virtue of the world. Moreover, the vices of the observer will be scattered by Stella's beauty. Just as the light shining in Stella's eyes scares away night birds, her beauty and the power of reason can force away vices. Not only does her beauty attract people, but also it persuades people to become virtuous. In the last line, Astrophel suddenly shifts to a personal view of Stella and his own guilt. Despite her beauty and virtue, he still urgently desires Stella and regrets his position.

Analysis: For the first thirteen lines, the poem appears to be simply a series of praises of Stella. Also, "reading" Stella once again takes love and intellectualizes it. Then, in the last line, the poem changes tone completely, forcing the reader to re-evaluate Astrophel's meaning and reconsider each of the lines that have come before. Two distinct types of love are set against one another: one is dignified and confident; the other is spontaneous and passionate. There are thirteen lines reflecting the first kind of love, but just one line of the other kind of love is enough to undercut the rest of the poem. (This is a common trick among sonnets, using the last line to undercut the rest.) Sidney shows the power of desire. No matter how much Astrophel wants to adhere to a pure and unimpassioned love for Stella, he is overwhelmed with desire.

72. Astrophel directs the sonnet to Desire, the emotion that has augmented his love for Stella since the beginning of the sequence. He declares that, even though both love and desire fan the flames of his heart, he has determined that he must give up Desire. Love flourishes through chastity and virtue, and he now must accept virtue in all its forms. He will embrace Service and Honor as Stella's gifts to him. Astrophel recognizes that he must give up Desire, but ultimately he does not know how to do so.

Analysis: This sonnet evaluates the same conflict as in Sonnet 71, but its tone is markedly different. Astrophel recognizes Desire as a loyal companion and his oldest friend. Sidney addresses Desire as a person (it is apostrophe), demonstrating a great deal of reluctance in banishing Desire. At the end, Astrophel is confused by his inability to go through with the banishment. For the first time, Astrophel's relationship with Desire is recognized as a force to be reckoned with.

73. Astrophel blames Love for the kiss he stole from Stella during Song 2. Astrophel explains that Love is simply a young, mischievous boy who was unable to resist the temptation of Stella's lips; that is, Astrophel himself is not to blame for what happened. Stella does not respond well to Astrophel's explanation and remains incredibly angry about Astrophel's behavior. Yet, even in her anger, Stella's face is so beautiful that Astrophel longs to kiss her again.

Analysis: Faced with Stella's displeasure, Astrophel refuses to take responsibility for his actions. He insists that Cupid has complete control over him and that, in fact, it was Love who kissed Stella, not Astrophel who did so. The sonnet is presented as a sort of trial, with Astrophel explaining his case in front of the two scarlet judges, Stella's lips. At the end of the sonnet, it is clear that the kiss was Astrophel's own action, not Cupid's, because he immediately wants to her kiss again.

74. Astrophel denies any contact with the Muses that might inspire him to write poetry. He describes himself as nothing more than a "poor layman" who has no claim to the poetic creativity of the Muses and lacks the motivation to plagiarize from another poet. Then how is Astrophel still able to write successful poetry? At the end of the sonnet, Astrophel finally explains that his sole inspiration is Stella's kiss.

Analysis: In this sonnet, Astrophel steps out of character to construct a witty reference to the stolen kiss. This sonnet is widely considered to be the comic masterpiece of the sonnet sequence because of Astrophel's tongue-in-cheek response and lack of remorse for the kiss. (Compare Alexander Pope's later "The Rape of the Lock.")

75. Of all of the kings who have reigned in England, Astrophel presents King Edward IV as the most worthy of his praise. He explains that this praise is not due to King Edward's intelligence or because he won the throne after the War of the Roses. This praise is not even due to the fact that King Edward successfully invaded France. King Edward IV is worthy of praise because he sacrificed his crown for love.

Analysis: Astrophel refers to Edward IV's refusal to marry a French princess for the sake of diplomacy. Instead, Edward married Elizabeth Grey in 1461, which led to a rebellion nine years later and Edward's exile. Contemporary historians criticized Edward for allowing his emotions to cloud his political judgment and threaten the wellbeing of the commonwealth. For Astrophel, however, Edward's choice was noble and romantic, following Love.

76. Astrophel sees Stella coming toward him, and the shining light in her eyes dazzles him. He compares her eyes to the sun, rising with the dawn and growing ever brighter. Stella's eyes become so bright that they seem to be on fire and turn into the blazing noon sun. Astrophel's heart burns with Stella's light, and he cannot cool it with shade or wind. He only hopes that her eyes will burn less brightly at night, when he takes her to bed.

Analysis: Astrophel compares Stella's eyes to the sun. Like the sun, her eyes increase in brightness and fire until the noon hour, at which point Astrophel is completely dazzled in both heart and sight. Continuing with the theme of the sun's progression through the sky, Astrophel concludes that the sun will be at its weakest in the nighttime hours. He hopes that he will be able to take advantage of her beauty at night without being dazzled.

77. Astrophel lists many of Stella's beautiful qualities: her eyes, her face, her presence, her grace, her hand, her lips, her skin, her words, and her voice. He acknowledges that he should feel blessed with only the presence of these attributes. In fact, when Astrophel is in a steady and virtuous state of mind, he does think only of these attributes. Most of the time, however, Astrophel has extreme physical desire for the rest of Stella's attributes, which are too sexual to be mentioned in the poem.

Analysis: The ending of this sonnet is similar to the endings of Sonnets 71 and 72. As in the other two sonnets, here Astrophel expresses his continuing conflict between chaste love and physical desire. His muse is too virginal to list the rest of Stella's qualities, although Astrophel is thinking about them. This sonnet makes clear that Astrophel's appreciation includes a salient sexual element.

78. Astrophel expresses his jealousy for Stella's husband, Lord Rich. Even though he is in love with Stella, he cannot help but be swallowed by the "monster" of Jealousy. The happiness of his love is marred by the fact that she is married to someone else. Astrophel attempts to depict Stella's husband as a devil, but this devil lacks horns.

Analysis: By depicting Lord Rich as a devil, Astrophel attempts to present him as a cuckold, corresponding to the tradition that horns were a sign of cuckoldry. Unfortunately, the devil figure of Lord Rich is lacking horns; he has not actually been cuckolded, and certainly not so by Astrophel. The absence of the horns indicates Astrophel's lack of success in fulfilling his physical desire with Stella.

79. Astrophel revels in the memory of the kiss he stole from Stella. The kiss was so sweet that he cannot hope to express its sweetness in poetry. He refers to the kiss as two coupling doves, as a double key to the heart, and as a battle in which every touch of the lips both wounds and heals. Astrophel continues to praise the kiss until he sees Stella in person. Then, in a witty final line, he immediately stops praising and asks for another kiss.

Analysis: This sonnet demonstrates how Astrophel's desire for Stella remains unfulfilled. Even after he has kissed her, Astrophel is not satisfied. When he is not in her presence, Astrophel is able to praise the kiss as a romantic conclusion, using all of his poetic skill. As soon as he sees her again, he forgets the pleasure of the kiss and only will be satisfied with more.

80. Astrophel directs this sonnet to Stella's sweet lip, the lip that he cannot help but praise. Astrophel incorporates a variety of praises for her mouth. He declares that Stella's lip emits heavenly graces instead of words and that her lip is the new home of the nine Muses. Even though his heart tries to persuade his own mouth to create more poetry, Astrophel is unwilling to give Stella simple flattery because it does not do her justice; he can no longer tell a lie. Astrophel concludes that the kiss taught his mouth to be as virtuous as Stella's own lip.

Analysis: Astrophel refers to the idea that a kiss can help a lover transcend his reality to reach a higher plane. In this case, Stella's lip influences Astrophel's mouth to make it more virtuous. Even though Astrophel wants to keep praising Stella's lip, he realizes that none of his poetry is worthy of her. Instead of lying about his ability and continuing to write, Astrophel tells Stella the truth: her virtue has been transferred to him temporarily through her kiss.

81. Astrophel continues to dwell on his kiss with Stella, praising it as much as he can. In this sonnet, he reveals that Stella wants "higher seated praise." His compliments of her beauty are not the compliments of virtue, she maintains with a blush. Astrophel makes a bargain with her, declaring that if she objects to his kiss-inspired poetry, she should "stop" his mouth with more kisses.

Analysis: Stella attempts to keep the higher ground in this situation, informing Astrophel that his praise for her kiss is inappropriate. Giddy with happiness, Astrophel once again incorporates his bargaining technique. In a witty twist, he promises that he will only stop praising her kisses with his mouth if she literally stops his mouth with more kisses. Unfortunately, Stella will not agree.

82. Astrophel pleads with Stella to kiss him again. He describes her lips as the beautiful cherry tree in the garden that is her body, and he begs her not to banish him from tasting the fruit. He refers to his previous kiss as a hungry bite of a cherry and apologizes for his fault. Finally, Astrophel swears that if she allows him access to her cherry tree, he promises that he will only kiss and never bite.

Analysis: After Stella's refusal to comply with his bargain in Sonnet 81, Astrophel tries a different method. He praises her mouth and physical beauty with references to figures in classical mythology, including Narcissus, who fell in love with his reflection in the water, and Venus, who appeared naked to Paris. Astrophel apologizes for the kiss he stole from Stella, explaining it as the bite of a starving man. Then, he tries to make yet another bargain with a comedic twist, promising that he will never "bite" her again.

83. Astrophel criticizes the sparrow that has crept into Stella's favor with its sweet song. Astrophel allowed the sparrow to spend time with Stella despite his jealousy because he did not think that the sparrow would take advantage of him. But the sparrow has become ambitious, chirping his song into Stella's ear and kissing her. Astrophel warns Philip that if he does not exercise caution in his behavior with Stella, Astrophel will strangle him.

Analysis: This sonnet is similar to Sonnet 59, in which Astrophel complains that Stella makes more of her dog than of him. In this sonnet, however, Astrophel talks to a sparrow (Philip). The sparrow is actively pursuing Stella, not just enjoying her attention as a pet. Astrophel feels threatened by Stella's enjoyment of the sparrow and warns Philip to retreat or suffer a broken neck. The use of a sparrow in this sonnet is a reference to poet John Skelton's mock elegy, "Philip Sparrow."

84. In this sonnet, Astrophel celebrates a journey to Stella's house. He addresses the "Highway," the road leading to Stella's (Penelope's) estate and refers to the sound of horses' feet adding a new rhythm to his poetry. He urges the Highway to lead him quickly to Stella so that their hearts can safely meet. In gratitude for the Highway's fulfillment of its duty, Astrophel wishes the road the greatest joy he can imagine: kissing Stella's feet for hundreds of years.

Analysis: Astrophel is filled with joy at the anticipation of meeting Stella in her home. The rhythm of the poem, with its reference to horses and trampling feet, demonstrates that Astrophel is actually en route to his destination. He has a great deal of gratitude for the road that is leading him to Stella, and he personifies the Highway into an entity that can be recognized and thanked.

85. Astrophel finally reaches Stella's home. Before he enters the house to find Stella, he reminds himself that he must not let his joy overwhelm him. In order to keep himself under control in Stella's presence, he delegates a specific task to each of his body parts. His eyes will look at Stella's physical beauty; his ears will listen to her sweet voice; his breath will inhale her breath; his arms will hold her; and his lips will kiss her.

Analysis: Astrophel's love for Stella is so intense that he is unable to internalize her entire presence at once. He has to divide his interactions with her into separate events for several parts of his body. Only by doing this can Astrophel cope with her presence and ensure that his joy at seeing her will not overwhelm him. This idea also distracts him from his anxiety. It seems unlikely that his lips will fulfill their task of kissing her.

86. Stella suddenly looks upon Astrophel with a different emotion; she bestows upon him a "change of looks." Astrophel does not understand what prompted the transformation, nor does he know what this transformation means for his love. He asks Stella to treat him sympathetically until he knows what fault he has committed. If his fault deserves a severe punishment, Astrophel asks that the punishment come from a source other than her eyes, which are the source of his love.

Analysis: This sonnet can be read as a premonition of Song 8, in which Stella finally and irrevocably breaks off their relationship. Astrophel is not sure what has caused his lover's change of looks, but he instantly recognizes that he is probably at fault. Even if he is deserving of her anger and disdain, he still asks for a single favor: that his punishment will not come from the eyes that he loves so much.

87. Astrophel is forced to leave Stella's side and give up any hope of a relationship with her. As he leaves, he notices that Stella is equally affected by his departure. She weeps, sighs, and speaks sad words to him. Astrophel is overjoyed by these signs of her love for him, even as he experiences sorrow for her sadness. He still must leave her, but he cannot be angry.

Analysis: For the first time in the sequence, Astrophel describes the extent of Stella's love for him. She is devastated by the prospect of losing him, even as she knows that she must reject him to do her duty to her husband. Ironically, Astrophel is still easily manipulated by Stella's influence. Even though he is angry at the rejection, the clear signs of her love for him are enough to dissipate his anger and make him temporarily happy.

88. Astrophel criticizes Absence for attempting to separate him from Stella. Absence cannot do anything to keep Astrophel from Stella because Stella is omnipresent in his mind and heart. As soon as Absence obscures the light of Stella's physical being, Astrophel returns to the image of Stella that sustained him before she fell in love with him. Before this absence, his heart loved her and his eyes saw her. Now, both the visual and the emotional images of Stella are tied together in his heart.

Analysis: Even though Astrophel cannot be in Stella's presence, he can retreat into his memories of her. Astrophel even declares that his love for Stella is stronger because of his absence. Instead of being two separate entities, his heart and his eyes are now connected through the images of Stella in his mind.

89. Astrophel continues to lament Stella's absence in his life. Returning to the common theme in the sonnet sequence of Stella's eyes as the sun, Astrophel bemoans the problem that he is living in darkness. Without Stella, he does not have any day; he is living perpetually in night. Moreover, his days are darker than his nights because he knows that he should have Stella's bright eyes shining on him.

Analysis: Astrophel uses the sun theme in several other sonnets in the sequence. This is the first time that he uses it in its negative form: Stella's absence translates into a day without sun. The metaphor becomes even more extreme when Astrophel maintains that his days are darker than his nights. Night already lacks the sun, so Stella's absence has an even deeper impact.

90. Astrophel does not want Stella to think that he writes poetry for the sake of fame. He wishes that he were not considered a poet, and he does not want to receive any praise for his writing from anyone but Stella. All of his words are meant to describe her beauty, and Love accompanies him in every poem that he writes. The only reason for his success is Stella.

Analysis: Astrophel reiterates the theme in the text that Stella is his only inspiration in poetry. He would not want to be considered a poet, even on his gravestone, if he could avoid it in any way. This sonnet mirrors Sidney's statement in "An Apology for Poetry" that poetry is his "unelected vocation." Despite Astrophel's claim, Sidney knows that he has many readers of his sonnets who can praise or blame him.

91. While Astrophel is separated from Stella, he experiences nothing but sorrow. He is cast into a world without her light. Whenever he sees something that reminds him of her, he can take joy in the small light that it brings him. Blonde hair, white hands, rosy cheeks, red lips, and black eyes all bring Stella into his mind and give him pleasure. Astrophel ends the sonnet by assuring Stella that he only loves these physical attributes in other women because he loves them in her.

Analysis: Astrophel continues to compare Stella's presence to the sun. But this time, he pushes the metaphor further. Even though Stella is gone, he can experience glimpses of her light through objects that remind him of her. His memory serves as a sort of candlelight in the darkness without her. Any reminder of her makes the darkness less grim. Her attributes are transcendent and the model for beauty in others.

92. Astrophel asks one of his friends for news of Stella and is disappointed by his friend's brief response that she is well. He asks why his friend gives him such scanty information about his mistress. Are his words so expensive? Is he imitating the Spartans, known for their clipped conversation? Is he hoping to spare Astrophel any more pain? Astrophel demands that his friend tells him everything about Stella: whether she sat or walked, what she wore, if she smiled, if she sighed, and so forth. The most important question comes at the end, when Astrophel asks if Stella mentioned his name.

Analysis: Astrophel presents this sonnet as a comic piece, but there is a clear sense of Astrophel's underlying desperation. He is completely cut off from Stella, and he has no way of receiving news of her except through his friends. In this sonnet, the friend's brief reply is completely dissatisfying, and he wonders if the friend knows something about Stella that he does not. Above all, Astrophel fears that Stella has forgotten him.

93. Astrophel confesses to having harmed Stella in some way. At the start of the sonnet, he can only give utterances to his despair and wonder if he can ever find ink black enough to write his grief. Astrophel attempts to make excuses for his action, citing his confusion and carelessness, but he quickly casts aside his attempt. He has hurt Stella, and he can never forgive himself for the pain he has caused her.

Analysis: Astrophel does not tell the reader what he has done to hurt Stella. Primary sources from Sidney's biography also fail to illuminate the mystery. By not telling us what he has done to Stella, Astrophel allows the events to be created by our imagination. Was it a fight, a rape, an argument with Lord Rich? Is it that kiss from before? The only thing that is apparent is that Astrophel has done something unforgivable.

94. Astrophel addresses Grief, the only figure who can serve as companion to him in his pain. He begs Grief to find the words to express his anguish in the poem because Astrophel is unable to form the words himself. He also asks Grief to complain and wail for his wretchedness because he is unable to do it. Astrophel concludes that, though Grief is defined by unhappiness, it will become even unhappier through Astrophel's personal grief.

Analysis: This sonnet (along with the next six sonnets) corresponds directly to the unknown action of Sonnet 93. Astrophel cannot forgive himself for his action, so each of these sonnets is somber and melancholy in order to reflect his mood.

95. Astrophel is grateful for his sighs because they are his only loyal companions. After Stella's rejection, Astrophel remembers that Joy was cowardly-and Hope instantly yielded. Delight abandoned him, and even Sorrow failed him, destroying his tears because they formed out of love for Stella. Of all of his former companions, Astrophel's sighs are the only ones that remain.

Analysis: This poem serves as a response to the previous poem. Joy, Delight, and Hope, all of the emotions associated with his love for Stella, immediately withdrew at the first sign of trouble. His sighs are the only constant in his emotional world; they stood by him as he wrote poetry before Stella fell in love with him, and they remain his friends after Stella's rejection.

96. Astrophel's thoughts are preoccupied with the night because of their similarities. First of all, the night is always black, whether through Nature or through chance. Second, the night is barred from the sun, mirroring Astrophel's banishment from Stella. Both the night and Astrophel's thoughts are silent and heavy, full of doubts, and filled with the moisture of dew or tears. Yet, Astrophel admits that the night is still better than his thoughts because the night leads to sleep, while his thoughts never allow any rest.

Analysis: Astrophel takes the metaphor of Stella as the sun and again inverts it so that he is talking about the night and Stella's absence. The dark night and Astrophel's dark thoughts have many things in common. Yet, Astrophel's thoughts are still darker than the night because they do not allow him to sleep. This is in clear contradiction to Astrophel's former view of Stella's image in his mind. Even if Stella's image is still present, Astrophel's thoughts have grown so dark that they are darker than the night.

97. Diana, the goddess of the moon (or in this case, the personification of the moon), desires to cheer up Night. In order to give him joy, she shows herself in the full phase of the moon and orders the stars around her to shine. But Night is in love with the light of the sun and cannot escape from depression. Remaining silent and sad, Night blocks out the light of the stars with clothes of mourning. The sun could bring joy to Night just as Stella could bring joy to Astrophel, but Astrophel knows that it can never be.

Analysis: Astrophel compares himself to a personification of Night. Like Night, Astrophel is somber and depressed, anxious for a joyful sun that will never come. Despite the best efforts of the moon and the stars (and references to classical mythology), nothing can cheer up the Night except for the sun. Yet, as Astrophel knows, the sun can never belong to the night; they must always be divided.

98. Astrophel is unable to sleep at night. While other creatures can rest in their beds, he can only toss and turn in his, thinking of Stella. When the dawn comes, Astrophel is finally able to close his eyes, but only out of spite that the world has its sun while he does not have Stella.

Analysis: This sonnet corresponds to Sonnets 32, 38, and 39, in which Astrophel discusses sleep and the god of dreams. Stella's rejection has completely transformed Astrophel's perception of sleep. Before, he was anxious to fall asleep so that he could see the image of her in his dreams. Now, Astrophel is only able to close his eyes at the sight of the sun because it reminds him too much of her.

99. When night convinces every other person to fall asleep, Astrophel stays awake. He looks at the shapes of the darkness and then retreats to his own mind to see the image of Stella. As the sun rises, Astrophel immediately falls asleep, closing his eyes under a "tomb of lids." He is ashamed to stay awake to see the brightness of the sun when his mind maintains its darkness.

Analysis: As in the previous sonnet, the theme of this sonnet corresponds to Sonnets 32, 38, and 39. Astrophel feels the most comfort in the darkness of the night because it mirrors the shadows in his mind. As soon as he sees the sun, he is reminded of Stella, and he cannot bear to keep his eyes open.

100. Astrophel describes the elements of Stella's grief. Her tears are the rain from Beauty's skies, and her sighs are soft breezes that cool the hell in Astrophel's soul. Stella's complaints are so beautiful that Eloquence itself is envious of her words. Astrophel declares that all of these signs of Stella's sorrow give him joy because they mean that she still loves him.

Analysis: Astrophel expresses Stella's grief in the same romantic terms that he used to describe her beauty throughout the sonnet sequence. In a clear shift from his previous emotions, Astrophel no longer feels sadness when Stella shows sorrow. Instead, he is filled with joy because of the implications of her unhappiness, if it is true that she loves him after all.

101. Astrophel expresses concern over a sickness that has sent Stella to bed. As a result of Stella's illness, Grace, Beauty, and Sweetness are equally sick. Her illness is not fatal, but Love and Nature both strive to assuage it as quickly as possible. Nature, in particular, is concerned because she realizes that she will never be able to create such physical beauty in another human.

Analysis: Stella's sickness leads Astrophel to reevaluate his feelings of despair and torment. For the first time in several sonnets, his tone is more optimistic, and he is no longer preoccupied with the unforgivable action of Sonnet 93.

102. Astrophel opens the sonnet by wondering where Stella's rosy cheeks have gone. He uses the first eight lines of the sonnet to describe Stella's cheeks in a series of metaphors and repeating his original question. The doctors who attended Stella during her illness claim that the absence is due solely to her weakness. Astrophel disagrees; he believes that her cheeks are pale because Love has cleared them for a renewal of love.

Analysis: Astrophel shows signs of delusion (once again) about Stella's feelings for him. Stella's sickness removes the healthy glow from her cheeks, but Astrophel assumes that it must be a sign of love. The paleness of her cheeks demonstrates that she is prepared to accept his love again. As the final sonnets of the sequence will show, Astrophel is mistaken in this belief.

103. Astrophel remembers his joy at seeing Stella in a boat in the Thames River. The river itself reflected his happiness with Stella on its surface. The winds would twine themselves in Stella's golden hair until she blushed with their enthusiasm. At the sight of her blush, Astrophel exclaims that such a beautiful sign of disgrace and embarrassment surpasses Honor's beauty.

Analysis: Astrophel has regained his hopeful mood about Stella's emotions for him. He recalls seeing her on the Thames and revels in the memory of her blush. This sonnet is paired with the previous sonnet because of the emphasis on cheeks and blushing.

104. Astrophel criticizes the members of the court for gossiping about his love for Stella. They watch him carefully, hoping to catch his words of love or affectionate glances. Astrophel is angry at their behavior; he is already unhappy because of Stella's absence and their gossip only adds to his depression. The courtiers interpret his actions and finally conclude that he must still be in love with Stella. Astrophel vehemently replies that they have not made a great discovery-his love for Stella is obvious.

Analysis: This sonnet is similar to Sonnet 27, Sonnet 28, and, in particular, Sonnet 54. The members of the court become involved in the affair after the affair has already ended. Astrophel has been in love with Stella the entire time, and he feels that his emotions must be apparent to the entire world. The excitement of the courtiers at their supposed "discovery" only angers him more.

105. Astrophel laments that his eyes (as "dead glass") are unable to see Stella, even as her image remains clear in his heart. He maintains that it was not his fault that he fell in love with her and was blinded to everything else. He urges his eyes to stop crying because they are not at fault for her absence. He ends the sonnet with a series of curses, ultimately cursing the coachman who curses him with Stella's absence.

Analysis: Now that he has been finally rejected in Song 11, Astrophel refuses to take the blame for falling in love with Stella. He weeps for her, but he tries to convince himself that he did nothing wrong. In the violent last four lines, Astrophel swiftly turns and begins to blame those around him, cursing them for the curse he experiences.

106. Astrophel complains that his hope has betrayed him. He had hoped that Stella would appear in this spot, "this orphan place," but she is absent. With Stella's rejection, Hope has disappeared. As much as he would like to search for Hope, Astrophel must accept that he can no longer find it. He decides to try to distract himself by conversing with the beautiful women around him.

Analysis: Hope, the force that has been omnipresent throughout the sonnet sequence, is finally gone, never to return. Astrophel misses the comfort of his former Hope, even though he knows that any hope in Stella is lost. His only solution is to try to distract himself and create new thoughts from the new women he meets.

107. Astrophel addresses Stella as his queen and ruler. Even though he is no longer her servant, Astrophel still wishes to serve her. He begs her to order him to dismiss his wit until it can produce something that corresponds to her desire that he no longer love her.

Analysis: Astrophel is still unable to control his emotions and thoughts. Although he now acknowledges that the relationship with Stella is over, he still considers her to be his queen and himself to be her servant. The only solution that he can admit is that Stella must take control of his thoughts. As his ruler, she must order him to stop loving her or else he will never be able to do it.

108. Whenever Astrophel's sorrow is melted away, he immediately begins to think of Stella again. His heart opens and is filled with her light. Yet, before Astrophel can reach out to her, Despair takes a hold of Astrophel's delight and destroys it; it cannot reach her. Astrophel returns to the darkness of his existence without Stella's sun, thinking only of the irony that he still must take joy in the thought of her.

Analysis: Astrophel invokes the idea of a forge and metalworking in this final sonnet. The fires of his suffering are so great that they can melt away his sorrow and allow him to be hopeful again. The image of Stella that appears in his heart is enough to spur his soul into flight. Despair swiftly crushes the flight, clipping Astrophel's wings, but the cycle will continue to repeat. Still, Astrophel will not be completely unhappy; he still experiences some joy in his woes for Stella.

Songs

In Song 1 Astrophel praises Stella, declaring that his music will always begin and end with her. In Song 2, Astrophel manages to kiss Stella while she is sleeping. Song 3 is a laudation of the power of music. Song 4 describes a dialogue between Astrophel and Stella in which she rejects his passionate advances. In Song 5, Astrophel vilifies Stella for her "change of looks" and retaliates with a series of insults. In Song 6, Astrophel describes a debate between Beauty (Stella) and Music (himself). Song 7 reiterates the words of reason that Astrophel ignored throughout the sonnet sequence. In Song 8, Stella admits that she loves Astrophel, but she must deny him because of her marriage. In Song 9, Astrophel laments that Stella refused him. Song 10 describes Astrophel's ardent desire to see Stella again. In Song 11, Astrophel goes to Stella's home and serenades her in one last effort to win her heart. Stella finally and indisputably dismisses Astrophel.

Analysis: Each of the eleven songs has an important role in perpetuating the plot of the sonnet sequence. That is, they should not be read all at once but in the context of the relevant sonnets (some are described in the sonnet analyses as they come up). Song 2, Song 8, and Song 11 are particularly important in terms of the plot. The stolen kiss in Song 2 is the closest Astrophel ever gets to the manifestation of his physical desire for Stella. The kiss itself inspires several sonnets as Astrophel replays the moment in his imagination. Song 8 is the beginning of the end in their relationship; Stella admits that she loves Astrophel, but she is too concerned with her honor and reputation to leave her husband for him. Song 11 was set to music by Thomas Morley in The First Book of Airs (1600) and became the most popular of the eleven songs. Stella finally dismisses Astrophel for good, destroying any of his hope for a future relationship. Nevertheless, the sequence ends on a hopeful note. Even though Astrophel is unhappy, his quest for Stella has resulted in a sort of "joy" through the writing of his "woes."

• Biography of Philip Sidney
• About Astrophil and Stella
• Character List
• Major Themes
• Glossary of Terms
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